Solar accessibility at the neighborhood scale: A multi-domain analysis to assess the impact of urban densification in Nordic built environments

Abstract

This article presents the preliminary stage of a wider study that aims to determine the effect of a densification process on solar accessibility in a consolidated Nordic built environment through the use of a multi-domain approach. A set of solar accessibility analyzes are conducted for actual and future scenarios at three urban domains of analysis: (i) outdoor, (ii) envelope, and (iii) indoor, using as metrics (i) hours of direct sunlight on the 21st of March, (ii) seasonal and annual irradiation, and (iii) average daylight factor. The approach is applied to a case study located at high latitude (Trondheim, Norway; latitude 63.43° N) for the development of the university campus. The results show a reduction in solar accessibility fin all the tested domains when the new project is inserted into the plot. Almost two-thirds of the outdoor area fails to comply with the recommended target of five hours of direct sunlight access, while none of the 21 analyzed facades is considered suitable for the installation of active solar systems. The indoor daylight level is also severely compromised, with all four ground floors of the tested buildings falling short of the target 2% average daylight factor in the future scenario. However, the selection of high reflective materials as the finishing cladding for the newly designed buildings can compensate for the losses due to the new buildings’ masses. This study demonstrates how a set of solar analyzes in different urban domains can identify the critical aspects of a densification process in its preliminary design stages and open future possibilities for urban morphology, districts and buildings’ design optimization.