A Simulation Model for Defining Three Different Solar Accesses in Site Planning

Abstract

This paper presents a simulation model to define quantitatively the available solar access and energy gain, considering maximum shadows interaction cast over a built- up site for planning purposes. The application of the model provides the solar access availability in percent out of the total exposed area, for three different types of solar access, for each building separately and for the entire site. The model could be applied at the site-design stage, where it allows improvement in its energy conserving qualities. The improvement can be performed by changing the location of buildings in the site (in order to change the shadow interaction), or by changing their future utilization. The model offers a practical tool to quantify the solar energy gain on a site over a specific exposure period. The model is applied to design a site which contains twenty structures with different dimensions. Four different designs are analyzed, considering three different types of solar access. The results are then discussed and compared to demonstrate the practicality of the model for planning purposes, which are concerned with the overall site's energy-conserving qualities, and the improvement of these qualities, at the site-design stage.