Planning for solar access
- Homestead Enterprises, Albion, CA (United States)
Land use planning is often no more than a strategy for getting the most economic value from a given piece of land while attempting to minimize the expense of mitigating environmental impacts. Because conventional fuels are currently inexpensive, development takes place with little consideration for energy efficiency or solar access. By identifying sites with solar access now, planners and building designers can assure that the south facing roofs and walls of future buildings will receive the solar energy necessary to satisfy the energy needs of their occupants. Planner Ian McHarg outlined scientific methods to map natural determinants including geology, hydrology, wildlife, soils, climate, as well as social determinants like population density, energy consumption, and transportation patterns in the late 60s. Overlays of these hand plotted maps gave planners a method of finding the most suitable sites for identified needs but were cost prohibitive for most projects. The affordability of studies done on high speed computers now allows general application of McHargian planning methods. At the time McHarg was developing his planning theory photovoltaics were so expensive their use was restricted to government projects. The low cost of heating with fossil fuels made solar heating expensive by comparison. Today advances in solar technology have made solar electricity and heating competitive with non-renewable energy resources. This paper will show how McHargian planning methods can be effectively used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to include efficiency and renewable energy access in land use decision making.
- OSTI ID:
- 361892
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970441-; ISBN 0-89553-212-3; TRN: IM9933%%274
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SOLAR `97: national solar energy conference, Washington, DC (United States), 25-30 Apr 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 22. national passive solar conference: Volume 22; Campbell-Howe, R.; Wilkins-Crowder, B. [eds.]; PB: 392 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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