A method for energy efficiency assessment during urban energy planning

Abstract

Purpose – Energy use in urban areas has turned a subject of local and worldwide interest over the last few years, especially emphasized by the correlated greenhouse gases emissions. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the overall energy efficiency potential and emissions resulting from integrated solutions in urban energy planning, in the scale of districts and neighbourhoods in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on the description and the application of a method to analyse energy performance of urban areas and support their planning. It is a quantitative bottom-up method and involves urban morphology, urban mobility, buildings and energy supply systems. Procedures are applied to the case study of Agua Branca urban development area, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Findings – In the case of Agua Branca area, energy efficiency measures in buildings have shown to be very important mostly for the buildings economies themselves. For the area as a whole, strategies in promoting public transport are more effective in terms of energy efficiency and also to decrease pollutant emissions. Originality/value – Literature review has shown there is a lack of approaches and procedures able to support urban energy planning at a community scale. The bottom-up method presented in this paper integrates a plenty of disaggregated and multisectoral parameters at the same stage in urban planning and shows that is possible to identify the most promising actions by building overall performance indexes.

Challenges Ahead for Sustainable Cities: An Urban Form and Transport System Review

“…Public transport is an intrinsic part of urban mobility whose impact on transport energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is widely recognized [15,[114][115][116][117]. Increased public transport rideability is necessary to ensure a good public transport service by decreasing waiting time and increasing lines.…”

“…Because energy consumption in urban areas is very high and on the rise, it got under the spotlight of local and worldwide research and decision-makers [15,16], and the choices made by municipal authorities and urban planners can significantly impact a city energy efficiency and emissions [17], as well as the thermal comfort of city dwellers [18]. Those choices inevitably act on the built environment, which is linked to urban form, transport systems, and human behavior.…”

Emissions in different stages of economic development in nations

“…The trajectory of economic development enhances the importance of energy demand management in these countries to address human-induced economic activity and household consumption-led emissions in the absence of considerable modifications in the energy efficiency and cleanliness of the energy supply sources (Regina de Casas Castro Marins, 2014).…”

Métodos de planejamento urbano e a promoção da cidade saudável

“…As potencialidades da OSP estão relacionadas à sustentabilidade biofísica e urbana, a redução das vulnerabilidades tensionadas pelas mudanças do clima, a preservação de valores e promoção do pertencimento e resiliência urbana, entre outros.No que se refere ao "Planejamento energético urbano", a problemática apontada é a redução no consumo energético e consequentemente da emissão de Gases do Efeito Estufa (GEE). SegundoDe Almeida Collaco et al (2019), a visão integrada e ampla da complexidade das cidades é levantada pela proposta do planejamento energético, considerando as relações entre as variáveis que compõe a cidade, tal como a forma urbana, as insolações, densidades e a mobilidade.SegundoMarins (2014), ações em eficiência energética de edificações, geração de energia local, utilização de transporte público, transporte não motorizado, entre outras, podem ser utilizados como estratégias e criação de cenários para auxiliar o planejamento urbano e as tomadas de decisões. Desta forma, este método pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de planos complementares ao Plano Diretor Municipal, no quesito planejamento energético.…”