Scientists at the Imperial College of London and the University of Aberdeen have proposed a new way to optimize urban rooftop usage, while also providing a choice between rooftop agriculture and rooftop PV power generation.
The advantage of rooftop PV would be to reduce reliance on power from the grid. Rooftop agriculture, meanwhile, could offer additional economic benefits, such as mitigating carbon emissions and lowering the need to heat and cool buildings.
The scientists proposed a method that integrates biogeochemical simulations and multi-objective energy system optimization. The aim is to evaluate different rooftop utilization options.
“The design optimization model optimizes the rooftop option, energy network design, energy system configuration, and operation strategy,” the researchers explained, adding that a case study related to an urban neighborhood with 30 large commercial buildings in Shanghai has demonstrated the proposal's applicability.