Buildings’ Morphology, Solar Rights and Zero Energy in High Density Urban Areas

Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to rise to 68% by 2050. This is especially challenging in Israel where urban population is more than 90%, and total population is expected to almost double in the next 30 years, posting serious threats to urban areas facing intensive densification processes. The qualitative design of urban open areas and the integration of solar systems for energy generation from renewable sources in crowded cities where energy use is very high, is complex and presents new challenges to building and urban design. Differentiating between different solar access demands according to programmatic requirements, such as open areas, building facades, and solar systems, improves the possibilities of achieving a high-density, high-quality, and zero energy design. This chapter challenges and analyzes the relationship between urban density and near zero energy design by examining different morphologies for an urban neighborhood undergoing a densification program in Tel Aviv. Results show that zero energy design in high-density conditions must consider mutual influences among buildings according to specific requirements. This goal can be difficult to accomplish relying on façade installation only. The use of efficient solar systems, and building morphologies that enable roofs to be used widely for solar installation should be studied and encouraged.