Energy-Scape web-based application is an effective tool to overcome the basic knowledge of architects toward renewable energy properties

Abstract

In last few years, research on renewables were shifted from integrating renewable energy (RE) with buildings into integrating renewable energy (RE) within urban environment due to the large occupies of urban areas in comparing to the building foot print. Urban areas such as urban landscape areas have a great potential in generating huge amount of energy that could satisfy the needs of urban neighborhoods. The presented research identify the properties of a new elements called Energy-scape elements (ESE) that integrates RE devices with urban landscape elements. This research focuses on analyzing the efficiency of web-based application called "Energy-scape software" (ESS) and compare its efficiency with Energy-scape database (ESD) through a qualitative method. The research concludes that Energy-scape software (ESS) application is an effective tool for implementing Energy-scape elements (ESE) and it overcome the basic knowledge of architects and landscape designers toward renewable properties. Moreover, it identifies the optimum type and location of Energy-scape elements (ESE) within a specific project, and it calculates the impact of using Energy-scape elements (ESE) in term of energy-savings.