Energy-solar map of Concepción: Urban mapping of energy consumption and solar capture in residential buildings of Concepción, Chile

Abstract

With the aim of promoting solar energy use in cities, this paper presents an urban assessment of energy consumption and incident solar radiation, applied to different residential typologies, categorized by block in Concepción, Chile. The categorization was done through surveys, socioeconomic records, aerial photographs, building typologies and simulations, which were implemented in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The identified ranges and zones give, as a first result, the differential distribution of energy consumption and solar potential, which constitute the basis for implementing an array of renewable energy. This work shows that high-density sectors have less solar potential in Concepción, whereas low-density sectors show a surplus, which could allow achievement of a balance in the solar energy matrix by energy transfer between sectors of the city.