Exploring urban building solar envelop potential with geospatial integrated building information modelling

As urban populations grow, energy demands and environmental impacts in cities intensify, necessitating sustainable solutions such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). This study investigates the integration of geospatial analysis and Building Information Modelling (BIM) to evaluate BIPV potential at an urban precinct level. The proposed framework utilizes GIS and BIM to address urban-scale solar potential and detailed building-level simulations. By utilizing geospatial data from Melbourne and advanced simulation tools, this framework assesses the energy generation, economic viability, and environmental benefits of BIPV systems. The evaluation considers factors such as shading, building orientation, and architectural features, providing a comprehensive analysis that supports urban planning and BIPV implementation. The results highlight the varying solar potential across different building heights and orientations, emphasizing the importance of both detailed architectural modelling for accurate simulations and geospatial analysis of the urban environment dynamics. Additionally, the economic analysis of BIPV systems demonstrates varying profitability based on system type and placement relative to shading. This integrated approach bridges the gap between macro-scale urban analysis and micro-scale building modelling, offering a scalable and automated solution for urban planners and architects.