Solar energy and access to sunlight: an optimization model of energy supply and land-use design

Abstract

This paper analyzes the interactions between land-use configurationsand on-site solar-energy devices used for heating and cooling. A mathematical programming model is developed to determine the optimal trade-off between the benefits of land-use development and those of solar-energy utilization. The measure of this trade-off is the extent to which access to sunlight should be guaranteed to prospective solar-energy users. The methodology is illustrated by numerical applications of a simplified model.