Designing and assessing solar energy neighborhoods from visual impact

The optimal diffusion of Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV) in cities requires diligent planning to arrange temporal and spatial distribution energy, while preserving the aesthetics city landscapes. Benefitting from an increasing quality 3D models cities, a comprehensive methodology estimate potential energy generation visually-acceptable PV, use buildings, economically viable micro-grid operation is proposed, by combining validated dynamic simulation tools into open-source computational platform. platform intends be useful for urban planners officials charge large-scale BIPV installation existing neighborhood: simulations are carried out at scale, inclusive façade potential, shading vegetation detailed roof shapes with super-structures. Social acceptability investigated through novel visual impact assessment grid integration solutions analyzed reference their associated costs. Under conservative scenario, median 10 kW hAC-electricity / m2 heated floor area per year available production Geneva (Switzerland), covering 32 % electricity demand space heating heat pumps, or, alternatively, almost times one cooling. Visual has demonstrated not concurrent constraints current stage, but rather contribute filtering building envelope surface avoid curtailment excess electricity. In near future, increased efficiency, expected become crucial criterion limit extent.