Spatial Planning as a driver of change in mobility and residential energy consumption

in Energy & Buildings (in press)

This paper analyses the impact of territorial structures upon energy consumption in the Walloon Region (Belgium). The rationale for this research is to consider the long-term influence of spatial planning ... [more ▼]

This paper analyses the impact of territorial structures upon energy consumption in the Walloon Region (Belgium). The rationale for this research is to consider the long-term influence of spatial planning decisions upon energy consumption in both residential building stock and home-to-work commuting. The analysis has been conducted on a regional scale (16,844 km2) and includes urban, peri-urban and rural settlements. Those settlements that perform well in mobility also appear to perform well in terms of building energy consumption. Even though this is not generally the case, it further reveals that some rural settlements characterized by low density show good performance in terms of energy efficiency. This permits a much more progressive approach in terms of spatial planning, whereby compact cities may be viewed as part of the solution, albeit not the whole solution. [less ▲]

Models and prospects for a sustainable suburban transition.

in Re-engineering the city 2020-2050: Modelling Sustainable Urban Transition Dynamics (2013, July)

This paper addresses the challenges, transformations and conditions of a sustainable suburban transition. Two powerful levers are used: (1) urban form, which is considered in addition to the individual ... [more ▼]

This paper addresses the challenges, transformations and conditions of a sustainable suburban transition. Two powerful levers are used: (1) urban form, which is considered in addition to the individual building scale, and (2) mobility, because sprawl spatially separates activities, resulting in an increase in travel distances and energy used in transportation. Two main indicators (the heating needs of different types of suburban forms and a commute performance index) are developed and discussed. Three scenarios focused on the evolution of the existing building stock are modelled and assessed (the retrofitting of existing neighbourhoods, an increase in the built density and demolition / reconstruction) to answer two main questions: "how to intervene in suburban areas?" and" where to intervene? ". These main results focused on energy efficiency are then studied in a larger framework to highlight the opportunities, limitations, constraints and feasibility of each strategy. Concrete prospects and guidelines for policy makers are finally proposed to operationalize a "sustainable suburban renewal". These findings show that, beyond the traditional polarization of the debates on energy efficiency of our built environment between the “compact city” and the “sprawled city”, a new pragmatic paradigm, focused on the transition of suburban areas by densification, can make suburban areas evolve towards more sustainability. [less ▲]

L'outil SAFE : un outil interactif d’évaluation des consommations énergétiques des bâtiments résidentiels et des déplacements des personnes

Article for general public (2013)

Les projets SUN et SOLEN : Soutenir la régénération durable des quartiers.

Poster (2013, April 30)

Urban sprawl, commuting and travel energy consumption

in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Energy (2013), 166

Commuting to and from dense urban centres is often believed to be more energy efficient than commuting from more suburban areas. However, quantitative evidence is lacking. In this context, this paper ... [more ▼]

Commuting to and from dense urban centres is often believed to be more energy efficient than commuting from more suburban areas. However, quantitative evidence is lacking. In this context, this paper investigates the interactions between the spatial structure of the territory and transport energy consumption for commuting. Based on empirical surveys carried out every 10 years in Belgium, a quantitative method was developed and applied to assess energy efficiency of home-to-work and home-to-school travels. Our main findings highlight that urban structure acts upon travel energy consumption for commuting and that major cities present low energy consumption. However, a local-scale approach is useful for refining these observations, and this approach highlights the existence of secondary suburban and rural cores that also are characterized by low transport energy consumption. In this respect, the distance from home to a destination is paramount, whereas the mode of transport used has a lower impact. The method is parameterised and reproducible in other territories. [less ▲]

Impacts of occupant behaviours on residential heating consumption for detached houses in a temperate climate of the northern part of Europe

in Energy & Buildings (2013), 57

The occupants' behaviour has a great influence on the energy demand, management and consumption of a building. This paper investigates the influence of three parameters related to human behaviour through ... [more ▼]

The occupants' behaviour has a great influence on the energy demand, management and consumption of a building. This paper investigates the influence of three parameters related to human behaviour through their modes of occupations (based on family size, management of the heating system and management of the heated area) on the housing heating loads of a standard dwelling in Belgium. Seven levels of insulation were tested: no insulation, two intermediate levels corresponding to 3 and 6 cm of insulation, the current standard for new buildings in Belgium, the low energy standard, the very low energy standard and the passive house standard. Multi-zone simulations were performed with a dynamic thermal simulation software. The impact of occupants' lifestyle and the interactions between occupation modes and insulation levels are highlighted. These results prove that the more the building is insulated, the more the lifestyle proportionally influences the heating loads. One important strategy for reducing heating consumption during the whole life cycle of the building is adapting the size of the house and its occupation modes to the evolution of family size. However, insulation is paramount, and increasing the insulation of the house provides generally better results than merely adapting the occupation mode. [less ▲]

An online interactive tool for the energy assessment of residential buildings and transportation

in Proceedings of PLEA 2012 (2012, November)

In the current context of increasing environmental awareness, energy efficiency is presented as a viable approach to the mitigation of climate change. In addition to public policies dealing with energy ... [more ▼]

In the current context of increasing environmental awareness, energy efficiency is presented as a viable approach to the mitigation of climate change. In addition to public policies dealing with energy efficiency, heightening public awareness on the impact of citizens’ lifestyles and behaviours is crucial and could quickly lead to significant reductions in the total energy consumption of a territory. This paper presents a new online interactive tool which enables citizens, local authorities and private developers (1) to assess energy consumption in the building and transportation sectors, at the individual and at the neighbourhood scales; (2) to compare them and (3) to find relevant and personalized hints to reduce their energy consumptions. Numerous methods and tools including a typological classification of buildings, thermal dynamic simulations, life-cycle assessments, statistical treatments of national censuses, etc. were used and combined to build the database used in the online interactive tool. This tool makes the main results of a scientific research accessible to a large non-specialized audience which is crucial in the scope of the sustainable development. Keywords: interactive tool, assessment methods, buildings, transportation, households, scientific popularization [less ▲]

Présentation des résultats de la recherche SAFE

Conference given outside the academic context (2012)

Présentation des résultats de la recherche SAFE et d'un outil interactif permettant à différentes catégories d'utilisateurs d'estimer les consommations d'énergie relatives à leur logement et à leur ... [more ▼]

Présentation des résultats de la recherche SAFE et d'un outil interactif permettant à différentes catégories d'utilisateurs d'estimer les consommations d'énergie relatives à leur logement et à leur déplacements, à les comparer et à trouver des pistes concrètes d'amélioration. [less ▲]

Suburban areas favoring energy efficiency (SAFE) : Rapport scientifique et technique final.

Report (2012)

Rapport de recherches final présentant les résultats du projet de recherches SAFE (2009-2012). Le projet de recherches SAFE portait sur l'évaluation énergétique des quartiers périurbains existants dans le ... [more ▼]

Rapport de recherches final présentant les résultats du projet de recherches SAFE (2009-2012). Le projet de recherches SAFE portait sur l'évaluation énergétique des quartiers périurbains existants dans le but d'en améliorer l'efficience énergétique par le développement de nouveaux modes de conception et de planification des tissus périurbains. L'objectif concret de ce projet de recherche est d'offrir un outil informatique interactif, accessible sur le web (www.safe-energie.be), qui permette d'évaluer l'efficience énergétique des lotissements wallons existants et de comparer différentes stratégies de renouvellement périurbain. Cet outil est destiné à l'ensemble des acteurs du processus de conception, réalisation et rénovation du milieu urbain. L'outil informatique développé estl'aboutissement d'une recherche de pointe basée sur la modélisation énergétique de quartiers périurbains à l'aide de simulations du microclimat urbain (logiciel de CFD, etc), de simulations dynamiques des consommations énergétiques des bâtiments pendant leur utilisation et de simulations énergétiques des fragments urbains sur l'ensemble de leur cycle de vie (intégrant l'évaluation énergétique des bâtiments, du transport et des réseaux d'énergie). [less ▲]

Combining Territorial Data With Thermal Simulations to Improve Energy Management of Suburban Areas

in Proceedings of GEOProcessing 2012 (2012, January)

Urban sprawl has been identified as a major issue for sustainable development. Energy consumption in suburban buildings, in particular, is a widespread issue because detached types of houses require ... [more ▼]

Urban sprawl has been identified as a major issue for sustainable development. Energy consumption in suburban buildings, in particular, is a widespread issue because detached types of houses require significantly more energy to be heated than more compact urban forms. Energy efficiency is often presented as a viable approach to the mitigation of climate change, but research and studies mainly contend with individual buildings and do not address this issue at larger territorial scales or for a whole building stock. In this respect, this paper first presents a morphological definition of urban sprawl. This definition uses territorial and cadastral data available for the Walloon region of Belgium. Using this definition, a suburban type classification adapted to thermal studies is drawn up. A representative block of each type is selected to model energy use and to determine the total energy consumption of the whole suburban building stock. An application is then presented concerning a comparison of potential energy savings associated with several renovation strategies. The results of this exercise are presented and highlight the benefits of combining Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools, territorial data and thermal simulations for the efficient energy management of suburban areas at the scale of the whole building stock. [less ▲]