Energy Efficient Strategies

for Urban Planning in

Cities
-Yugen Maharjan
 In 2005, the world’s urban population was 3.17 billion out of a total of
6.45 billion.
 In 2007, for the first time, more people live in cities than countryside
according to United Nations.
 Urban Populations are expected to grow by another 2 billion people over
the next three decades and it is expected that cities in developing
countries will absorb 95% of this increase.
 UN-HABITAT’S State of the World’s Cities Report for 2006/7 points, that in
many cases, urban growth will become synonymous with slum formation.
 To avoid the victims of their own success,
cities must search for ways in which to
develop sustainably.
As the world’s population grow, many faster
than the average 2%, the demand for the
energy will increase. The world’s energy
consumption today is estimated to 22 billion
kWhr/yr, 53 billion kWh by 2020.
Research has shown that suitable urban forms can positively affect energy
demand and production
For example,
 by controlling URBAN SPRAWL,
 improving solar exposure of the buildings
 or promoting mixed use-district.
However, energy consideration in urban planning fairly recent concept that
may lack proper framework and clearly defined methodologies.

Planning
a) Rational Planning (By Banfield)
b) Collaborative Planning ( By Lawrence and Schoenwandt)
Factors that affect strategies for urban planning
1. Mega Growth Mega complexities
Urban growth is spread unequally around the world, and the same is true of its
largest cities.
Mega City has its own characteristics both pros and cons. At the same time, we are
witnessing: New city region emergence (Urban sprawl). These huge megacity regions
create a new urban dynamic. As a result, it is difficult to deliver an efficient
approach to infrastructure challenges.
2. Role and competitiveness
There is a struggle between economic competitiveness and employment,
environment, and quality of life.
This bring out the fact that cities need
modern, efficient infrastructures,
 Especially transportation network,
 Abundant (preferably skilled) labor
 Modern IT and communication technologies
 Quality of basic services
 Business Friendly policies and regulations
Energy Efficient Strategies
1. Urban Pattern
In their study on “relationship between urban planning and energy consumption”,
Holden and Norland pose the question: does the change of urban forms tend to
reduce the frequency and length of journeys, and hence energy consumption?
a. Compares compact Vs Dispersed development
 Concerns with travel behavior
 Reducing energy use per capita
2. Land Use Distribution and home- work trip
Housing location influences the distances to
different types of facilities and the spatial
location of most of these facilities suggests
that average travel distances will be shortest for inner-city residents. According
to these studies, up to a certain point, energy use per capita decreases as density
increases, but thereafter energy use starts to increase. Thus, the advantages of
‘mega-cities’ or ‘extreme density areas’ seem to be outweighed by the advantages
offered by more modest forms of urban compactness.(Naess 1997)
3. Buildings: Forms and Planning
Globally, buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the total world annual
energy consumption.
The integration of energy planning is vast framework and complex matter. First of
all, there is no common agreement on what energy planning actually represents.
For defining the urban planning ,there is a lack of a unique problem statement,
conflicting objectives, conflicting values, dynamic context, scientific complexity,
political complexity, multiple stakeholders with the power to assert their values.
Same goes for the energy efficient architecture of a building. Based on analysis of
foreign and domestic experience of designing energy efficiency residential
buildings, one can generate number of demands.
a) Urban needs: design according to orientation; landscaping
b) Ecological needs: Use of environmentally sound materials; building enabling to
preserve the environment
c) Architectural and planning needs: design of compact form of a plan and
avoidance of irregular facades; stylobate floor lay out to reduce the wind load
on the adjacent territory
 d. Constructional needs: Use of efficient thermal insulation materials and
structures for building, use of three- layered building envelops
e. Engineering needs: Use of both passive and active alternative energy
sources systems in building, use of mechanical exhaust system of
ventilation

The above enable to Cluster of principles Principles

set a principles of Urban Principles of the selection of building location taking into
account: climatic conditions, locality, existing site development
establishing in the area of the supposed construction.
architectural
solutions of energy Architectural and Compactness of shapes of a building, specification of general
efficient buildings as planning architectural and planning building concept, specification of
inner layout of a building, architectural and compositional
Urban, Architectural principle.
and Planning, design Design Principles of the selection of: wall facing construction, roof
concepts as well as construction, facing materials, glazing of a building (spaces,
the principles of the structures, light opening location) and sun protection.
original renewable
Principles of the use of Principles of the usage of: solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy,
energy usage. original renewable earth’s heat energy; secondary energy.
energy
4. Renewable Energy
5. Legislations and laws addressing environmental issues
Laws and legislations should play a vital role. In 2000, the city of Barcelona
introduced it mandatory ‘Solar Ordinance’. All new housing, offices and
restaurants and public buildings have to install solar hot water systems if they
use substantial amounts of hot water. Old buildings also have to be fitted with
solar hot water systems when they are rebuilt.
In German cities solar PV panels are becoming commonplace, despite the
country’s relatively cloudy skies. They are paid about 50 cents/kWh for selling
their electricity back to the electricity grid, which is about four times the price
paid to conventional electricity generators. The policy has led to a massive
growth in demand for solar PV technology across the country.
References
1. Khalil, Heba Allah. “Energy Efficiency Strategies in Urban Planning of
Cites.” 7th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference
(2009): n. pag. Web.
2. “Annez, Patricia Clarke; Linn, Johannes F.. 2010. An Agenda for Research on
Urbanization in Developing Countries : A Summary of Findings from a Scoping
Exercise. Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5476. World Bank. ©
World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/3958
License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
3. Cajot, S., Peter, M., Bahu, J.-M., Koch, A., & Maréchal, F. (2015). Energy
Planning in the Urban Context: Challenges and Perspectives. 6th
International Building Physics Conference, IBPC (pp. 3366-3371). Elsevier BV.
4. A.LeyzerovaE.SharovarovaV.Alekhin. (2016). Sustainable Strategies of Urban
Planning. 2nd International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE-2016)
(pp. 2055-2061). Elsevier.