SOLAR AND BATTERIES
HOW SOLAR SKYSCRAPERS
COULD SUPERCHARGE OUR CITIES by Lauren DeLorenzo, Journalist, Energy magazine
Melbourne’s iconic CBD bathed in sunlight is quite a spectacular view — but now the city’s sun-soaked skyline can offer more than just a killer Instagram photo. New research from Monash University has unveiled the massive potential of solar photovoltaics (PV) integration in transforming Melbourne into a near-self-sustaining city.
C
ities suck up huge amounts of energy, but produce very little themselves. New research from Monash University has revealed a massive opportunity for Melbourne, and cities like it, to shift this balance. The study, first published in the journal Solar Energy, found that integrating solar technology in roofs, walls and windows could account for up to 74 per cent of Melbourne’s electricity supply. The bulk of that solar energy supply (88 per cent) could be produced through rooftop solar alone. Wall-integrated and window-integrated solar technologies, which could be used to capture solar radiation bouncing off of city skyscrapers, could produce 8 per cent and 4 per cent of that supply, respectively. Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science based at Monash University worked with collaborators at the University of Lisbon to chart the amount of sunlight that reaches the city annually, taking into account shadows from taller buildings. By mapping the solar radiation, researchers were able to create an adaptable model which can estimate the maximum solar power generation potential of Melbourne. Co-author and Lecturer for Environmental and Civil Engineering at Monash University, Dr
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Jenny Zhou, said the workflow of the study was made deliberately transparent to encourage more types of this research in other cities. “The simulation models we used in our study are open source tools with little or no cost,” Dr Zhou said. “So any other cities can borrow the model from our study and produce their own estimates.” The research focused on the 37.4km section of central Melbourne – an area that consumes around 7.5 per cent of the state’s entire energy supply. First author of the study and private sustainability expert, Dr Maria Panagiotidou, said there are clear benefits to implementing solar PV. “Solar is widely available and technology has made incredible steps in the last 20 years,” Dr Panagiotidou said. “So it’s quite important to be able to capture this energy, which is an opportunity that would otherwise be wasted. We wanted to, through this research, demonstrate the absolute maximum potential of this.”
Unlocking Melbourne’s solar potential Melbourne’s energy demand is highest during the day, when people are using energy inside city buildings — during the times when solar is
most able to provide additional supply. Localised energy production during these hours of sunlight could have significant cost and resource-saving implications for Melbourne. With electricity generation typically sourced from the LaTrobe Valley, electricity losses can occur during transmission to the city. Corresponding author and Professor of Engineering at Monash University, Jacek Jasieniak, said that local energy production avoids “quite sizeable” losses of electricity. Electricity transmission from LaTrobe Valley to Melbourne began in the 1920s; before that, Melbourne ran on local generators. Now, localised energy production in Melbourne could be a key energy solution. “It almost seems like there’s an opportunity to go back a hundred years, but actually reinvent and rethink the sustainability and the cost benefits of doing that,” Professor Jasieniak said.
Rethinking buildings for solar integration So what steps are needed to make the most of solar PV in Melbourne?
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