Solar Task / SHC IEA Task 63

Solar Neighborhood Planning

The Task 63 belongs to the Solar Heating and Cooling research network of the International Energy Agency.

The main objective of Task 63 is to support developers, property owners/associations, architects, urban planners, municipalities, institutions, and other key players to achieve solar neighborhoods that support long-term solar access for energy production and for daylighting buildings and outdoor environments – resulting in sustainable and healthy environments.

To achieve these objectives, work is needed on four main topics (sub-tasks):

1. Solar planning strategies and concepts for achieving net zero energy/emission neighborhoods.
2. Economic strategies, including added values and stakeholder engagement.
3. Solar planning tools for new and existing neighborhoods.
4. Case studies and stories, to test Task developments in dialogue with key players, implement and disseminate.

Gilles Desthieux is the Swiss expert for the Task. It contributes to it on the hand directly working on complementary activities, on the other hand through related research projects (VALES, G2 Solaire, HELIOS) that echo many of the sub-tasks as presented.

The specific contribution to the task is supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. It is structured as follows:

• Attending the meeting with national experts every 6 months
• Lectures in the Fall schools organized by the University of Calgary
• Contribution to the sub-task reports and scientific publications
• Presentation in the task seminars