Solar Energy 74 (2003) 397–407 P utting solar energy on the urban map: a new GIS-based approach for dwellings a b , b * Stuart Gadsden , Mark Rylatt , Kevin Lomas a BDSP Partnership , Summit House , 27 Sale Place , London W 2 1 YR, UK b Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development , De Montfort University , Scraptoft Campus , Leicester LE 7 9 SU, UK Received 30 January 2003; accepted 6 May 2003 Abstract This paper describes some aspects of prototype software designed to assist local authority planners and energy adv their efforts to increase the uptake of solar hot water systems in cities. To estimate the potential yield from installed the Solar Energy Planning system implements an adaptation of the method for calculating the thermal performance o heating systems for domestic hot water in BS5918. A much-enhanced version of the BREDEM-8 domestic energy model provides the basis for predicting the delivered energy savings. Reductions in CO emissions can also be quantified. A t 2 the prototype in an urban area of Leicester, UK, is illustrated and some encouraging results are reported.  2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1 . Introduction gy. Here, aspects of the system are described that focus on the second option, specifically: support for localauthority plannersand energy advisers in effortsto increase the Energy produced for space heating, domestic hot water, uptake ofsolarenergy systems in urban areas. This is lighting,mechanical ventilation and air conditioning is known asthe SolarEnergy Planning (SEP) system.To estimated to be responsible for 46% ofthe UK national date the system has focussed on domestic solar hot water totalof CO emissions (27% from dwellings and 19% 2 (the subject of this paper) and photovoltaic panel installa- from non-domestic buildings) according to the UK Depart- tion. Current work is also targeting the passive use of solar mentof Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR, energy for daylighting in non-domestic buildings. The SEP 2000b). UK CO reduction targets are even more demand- 2 softwarehas four stagesto assistin the location and ing than those set by the Kyoto agreement. The consump- targeting of suitable sites for installation as well as for tion of energy in buildings therefore features prominently calculating energy yields (Rylatt et al.,2001): in attemptsto achievethem.The two mostfeasible approaches are to make buildings more energy efficient, (1) Filtering . Removesdwellingswith planning restric- and to displace conventionally produced energy with non- tions and those without a suitable roof plane (defined pollutingalternatives. Local authorities, and others as:orientationwithin 6458 of South;inclination 2 concerned with planning UK cities are in the vanguard of between 08 and 608; and area greater than 3 m ). efforts to mitigate CO emissions. They require easy to use (2) Targeting . Selectsthe most promisingremaining 2 tools to assist with formulating strategies, for predicting dwellings, according to an index pre-set by the user, their outcome and for monitoring progress towards targets. based on socio-economic factors such as household TheprototypeGIS-based decision support system,de- income, occupancy etc. scribed in this paper, has the potential to assist with energy (3) Baseline energy demand . Estimates energy demand efficiency issues and the use of renewable energy technolo- for space heating, domestic hot water (DHW), lights and appliances usingSEP’s GIS-linked,enhanced version ofBREDEM-8 ( Anderson et al., 1997), see 1 Gadsden et al. (2000) and Gadsden et al. (2002). *Corresponding author. Tel.: 144-116-257-7973; fax: 144- 116-257-7977. 1 E-mailaddress : rylatt@dmu.ac.uk (M. Rylatt). A distinct, new approach, now known as EMERALD. 0038-092X / 03 / $ – see front matter  2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016 / S0038-092X(03)00190-7