Energy performance assessment in urban planning competitions

By applying the methodology to a case study city quarter designed in an urban competition in Munich, it could be shown how the urban design influences the energy demand of the quarter and which fractions of renewable energy can be integrated into the roofs. While the building insulation standard and use are the is most important criteria for building energy efficiency (with an impact of more than a factor 2), the exact geometrical form, compactness and urban shading effects influences the energy demand by 10-20%. On the other hand, the detailed roof geometry and orientation influences the possible solar coverage of electricity or thermal needs. Zero energy city quarters with solar resources alone are only possible when all available building surface areas are fully optimized and do not need to fulfill other requirements such as providing roof gardens, terraces or others. Combinations with other more centralized renewable resources such as deep geothermal, solar or biomass heat or cogeneration plants are often necessary to achieve zero energy balances.