| Abstract: |
Being a ‘zoon politikon’, humankind develops its first ‘communities’ to harvest food, build shelter and socio-political interactions. Nowadays, the term has been configured as a challenging and promising concept for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Being commonly acknowledged that the ‘community-based’ strategies are a conduit towards the ‘clean’ and ‘green’ energy, they are gaining traction among scientists and practitioners. In addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change and urban heat islands, this approach advocates for the incorporation of various solutions within urban settings, ultimately promoting resilience and enhancing the quality of life for urban dwellers. In this contribution, a targeted and comprehensive understanding of the patterns of the ‘energy community’ phenomenon is provided to provide clear configurations and observations unveiling the research gap.
The works explores the spectrum of ‘energy community’ according to the literature, and their main configurations, as well as motivations and contextual factors in Belgian context from different perspectives highlighting the necessity for sustainable development that harmonizes human activities with natural ecosystems. In addressing contemporary challenges, such as climate change and urban heat islands, this approach advocates for the incorporation of various solutions within urban settings, ultimately promoting resilience and enhancing the quality of life for urban dwellers. By recognizing the dynamic relationships between built environments and landscapes, we can facilitate a transition towards more sustainable, equitable, and livable cities.
From an architectural viewpoint, energy communities play a fundamental role in creating sustainable, efficient, and comfortable environments. The design principles are aimed at integrating natural resources, such as sunlight and wind, to reduce overall energy consumption and enhance living quality. This approach relies on passive strategies that minimize the need for intensive mechanical systems, favouring solutions like natural ventilation and solar gain control, which help maintain optimal indoor conditions with minimal energy use. In this context, the proper orientation of buildings is crucial to maximize solar gain during the winter months and reduce overheating in summer, thus enhancing the building’s overall efficiency.
Overall, this study investigates Key Performance Indicators that enhance energy performance in Belgian building typologies, while the research assesses as well technical parameters to analyze the differences in energy performance between SFH and MFH structures by evaluating their suitability for renewable energy technology integration and potential for maximizing solar heat gain based on distinct design features. Drawing on data from the Tabula Webtool, this research offers a comprehensive assessment of the role of architectural design in promoting energy efficiency in buildings and renewable energy integration within RECs.
What is finally the energy community and what motivates its actions? Building on this overview, this paper highlights the current research gap and provides insight into how the communities are emerging, the opportunities and challenges they pose and how their diffusion might be further facilitated despite their complexity and multi-dimensional nature. |