Solar Buildings and Neighborhoods: Design Considerations for High Energy Performance (Green Energy and Technology)

This book presents the main principles for designing buildings and neighborhoods with increased potential to capture and utilize solar energy. It discusses practical issues in the design of the built environment and their impact on energy performance; and a range of design considerations, from building components (e.g. the building envelope) to urban planning issues (e.g. density and street layouts). In addition to design guidelines on how to increase buildings’ potential to capture solar energy, the book provides creative tips to increase the aesthetic value of solar technology integration in buildings.

Helping readers plan energy-efficient buildings with innovative building envelope technologies, and to understand the impact of early-stage design considerations on the energy performance of buildings and communities, the book offers a valuable source of information for building professionals, including architects, engineers, and urban planners. It can also serve as a reference guide for academics and students of energy efficiency in buildings and urban planning.

Dr. Caroline Hachem-Vermette is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design. An architect by training, she holds a Master’s degree in Architectural Engineering, and another Master degree  and a Ph.D. in Building Engineering. Her research interests include assessing the solar potential and energy implications of building shapes, building envelope design, and multifunctional high –energy performance neighborhood patterns, to reach net zero energy status. Her research is multidisciplinary and serves as a “bridge-builder” between building engineering and architectural and urban design. An expert member affiliated with the International Energy Agency’s Task 63 (Solar Neighborhood Planning) and Task 51 (Solar Energy in Urban Planning), she has published in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Applied Energy,  the Journal of Solar Energy and Journal of Energy and Buildings. She has been involved in feasibility studies for several solar community designs in regions across Canada. She is a recipient of a number of awards including the 2019 Peak Scholar award, the  2016 Sustainability Award, e-sim/ IBPSA Award for Innovation in Modeling, and Hangai Prize for young researchers.