Urban form and renewable energy potential

Abstract

Urban form, i.e., the layout, density, shape and orientation of buildings within the street grid of a city, affects greatly the potential of using renewable energy sources such as sun and wind for electricity production and climatisation of buildings. This paper outlines the framework of the European research Project PRECis (assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy in Cities) and, in particular, the role of the Polytechnic University of Turin in that Project.