A Comparative Study Evaluating the Impacts of Solar Ready High-Rise Existing Neighbourhoods in Toronto

Rising densification in today's cities is increasing the energy demand of the built environment and is consequently exacerbating the effects of climate change. Globally, countries are looking for alternative means of energy generation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach 2050 goals. In this study, five distinct downtown neighbourhood blocks were selected from the online Toronto 2030 Platform. Simulations were carried out using the HelioScope tool to examine the application of building integrated photovoltaics on the façades of buildings in these archetypes. The annual PV energy generation from the façades was paired with rooftops (from an earlier study of the same buildings). A comparison was made against metrics pertaining to the existing energy use intensity (EUI) of these buildings. The results of this study advance recommendations that facilitate the development of 'solar ready' neighbourhoods, which are important from the context of urban energy security and resilience.