Wednesday, September 13, 2017
10:00 - 11:30 (GMT)

An increased use of solar energy is a key ingredient for forging resilient cities. This recognises the importance of the urban fabric being able to use renewable energy sources to become increasingly self-sustainable. In that regard, the integration of active solar energy systems in the built environment will allow cities to reach a high level of sustainability. In this framework, the main objective of the “IEA SHC Task 51 Solar Energy in Urban Planning” provided support to urban planners, authorities and architects to develop urban areas with architecturally integrated solar energy solutions, as a long term urban solar energy strategy. The scope includes solar energy issues related to new and existing urban development areas and sensitive solar landscapes.

Researchers and practitioners from twelve countries worked intensively during the last four years to develop and prepare material such as reviews on legal framework, barriers and opportunities, on planning processes and on educational issues. Results included approaches, methods and tools related to solar energy issues in urban planning as well as a collection of international case studies with lessons learnt and a web-based learning platform.

The experts of Task 51 have addressed many challenges and key findings of their work was presented during a webinar. The speakers highlighted the current status of solar energy legislation for participating countries and present key issues and possibilities associated with the application of solar energy technologies in urban areas. This includes consideration of solar access rights and heritage controls from an urban planning perspective, as well as reviewing legal precedents and comparisons between different local, regional and national jurisdictions. Furthermore, the importance of understanding solar issues in relation to energy and urban planning processes was highlighted. A brief summary of a range of approaches, methods and tools that supports solar energy in urban planning was presented.

All stakeholders were invited to join the 1.5-hour webinar held on Wednesday, 13 September 2017, from 10 to 11.30 am GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

This was the third of a series of webinars organised by the IEA SHC Programme’s Solar Academy and hosted by the International Solar Energy Society. A recording of the event from the webinar is available below.

Panellist Speakers and Topics:

• Maria Wall: Overview of the Task 51 work
• Mark Snow: Legislation and voluntary initiatives – barriers and opportunities to solar energy in urban planning
• Johan Dahlberg: Solar energy in urban planning processes
• Marja Lundgren: Approaches, methods and tools – Examples for different stages in the planning process.

The SHC Solar Academy is a means to share key results of the IEA SHC Programme with stakeholders from business and science. The webinars are one of four ways in which the IEA SHC is reaching out to a global audience to exchange information and to support R&D efforts and the implementation of solar heating and cooling projects all over the world. For more information on other Solar Academy activities, please go to: https://www.iea-shc.org/solar-academy

More information on Task 51: http://task51.iea-shc.org

Presenter Bios

Maria Wall

Maria Wall is associate professor at the Division of Energy and Building Design, Lund University, Sweden. She has a MSc in Architecture and a PhD in Engineering. Her research includes different issues related to energy-efficient buildings as well as solar energy strategies. She is presently leader of the IEA SHC Task 51 on Solar Energy in Urban Planning and was former leader of SHC Task 41 on Solar Energy and Architecture. She is also Director of the 2-year Master Programme in Energy-efficient and Environmental Building Design at Lund University.

Mark Snow

Dr Mark Snow is the Australian representative for the IEA SHC Task 51 Solar Energy in Urban Planning and Subtask A Leader. As a research fellow at the University of NSW (UNSW) in Australia Mark co-authored an international publication on designing with solar power and has provided BIPV and building energy systems expertise nationally and internationally for over 15 years. He also been a task expert for SHC Task 41 on Solar Energy and Architecture, as well as for IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) Task 7 Photovoltaic power systems in the built environment and Task 10 Urban scale photovoltaic applications.

Johan Dahlberg

Johan Dahlberg is a sustainability advisor and research coordinator at White arkitekter. He works strategically in urban planning and design projects incorporating a wide range of sustainability aspects. He also has a long experience in introducing action-based research in ongoing projects. Presently, he is Subtask B leader of the IEA SHC Task 51 on Solar Energy in Urban Planning, focused on development of approaches, methods, tools and processes.

Marja Lundgren

Marja Lundgren is an architect, sustainability advisor and partner at White arkitekter. She has a long experience in architectural design of energy efficient, healthy and energy generating buildings from both practice and research. She was earlier active as expert in IEA SHC Task 41 Solar Energy and Architecture and presently as Subtask B Leader of the IEA SHC Task 51 on Solar Energy in Urban Planning, focused on development of approaches, methods, tools and processes.

Ken Guthrie - Webinar Moderator

Ken Guthrie is Chair of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programmes' Executive Committee. Guthrie is founder and Director of Sustainable Energy Transformation, a renewable energy consultancy, since August 2012 after having served as General Manager of Sustainable Environs at Sustainability Victoria for three years. Prior to that he worked in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in Victorian Government agencies since the mid 1980’s. He was instrumental in initiatives to increase solar water heating in Australia through the Renewable Energy Target, subsidies and new housing regulations.

Webinar Recording