The impact of spatial form on carbon emissions from building energy use and photovoltaic carbon reductions in residential neighborhoods

• Developed a multidimensional building carbon emission assessment framework • Uncovered the impact of morphological parameters on building carbon emission • Spatial form leads to a change in comprehensive carbon emissions by 89.25% • Roof-to-façade ratio and building height jointly influence net carbon emissions • Multi-storey types can achieve carbon neutrality through photovoltaic utilization Spatial form significantly influences the carbon emissions during the building operation phase (Ope-BCE) at the neighborhood scale. However, the impact of spatial form on building carbon emissions at this scale has not been studied in detail. This study aims to investigate the impact of spatial form on Ope-BCE in residential neighborhoods, considering scenarios that incorporate building-integrated Photovoltaic (PV) systems. Initially, a comprehensive technical framework was developed to assess Ope-BCE at the neighborhood scale, utilizing Rhino & Grasshopper parameterized platform. It should be noted that the Ope-BCE in this paper focused on the building operation phase, and included carbon emissions from building energy use (CE-BEU), photovoltaic carbon reductions (PVCR), and net carbon emissions (NCE), over its 50-year design life. Then, an architectural typology approach was then employed to categorize residential neighborhoods and extract relevant form parameters. Subsequently, the regression analysis was conducted to determine the impact of these parameters on Ope-BCE, encompassing CE-BEU, PVCR, and NCE. The results indicated significant variability in NCE across different neighborhood types. The multi-story pavilion exhibited the lowest NCE at -1720.8 kgCO 2 /m 2 , within its 50-year design life, while Type I high-rise slab recorded the highest at 339.1 kgCO 2 /m 2 , within its 50-year design life. The magnitude of impact on CE-BEU, PVCR, and NCE due to neighborhood form changes in multi-story residential neighbouhoods were 33.44%, 69.12%, and 90.01%, respectively. Multi-storey residential neighborhoods could achieve carbon neutrality or even net carbon benefits through integrated PV systems. However, only a minority of high-rise neighborhoods reached carbon neutrality. Both the roof-to-façade area ratio and building height jointly influence NCE, accounting for 96% of its variance. This technical framework offers a referential strategy for achieving carbon neutrality in urban neighborhoods worldwide, contributing to the sustainable development and carbon neutrality of global cities.