High-resolution spatial assessment of the zero energy potential of buildings with photovoltaic systems at the city level

Abstract

Zero energy buildings are considered as a viable way to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions in the building sector. This study proposes a high-resolution assessment framework by combining top-down and bottom-up approaches to evaluate the zero energy potential of buildings with photovoltaic systems at the city level. We selected Shanghai as a case study to validate the practicality and feasibility of the proposed framework. Four energy scenarios were further designed based on the location of the installed solar photovoltaic panels (i.e., building roofs and facades) and the window-to-wall ratio. The results show that most buildings in Shanghai's central area show a high potential for zero energy consumption. However, buildings located in Shanghai's suburbs have difficulty in achieving zero energy if only solar photovoltaic systems are used. In summary, the substitution rate (i.e., the ratio of the coal equivalent of solar energy potential to building energy consumption) for the four scenarios ranges from 25.74% to 53.13%. This indicates that the application of solar energy received by buildings can reduce more than half of Shanghai's building energy consumption during the operation phase. The proposed framework may assist policymakers in developing better energy conservation strategies and improving solar energy utilization in buildings.