Evaluating the solar energy potential for Positive Energy Districts (PED) through advanced 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis

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  1. Hande Demirel ,  
  2. Ayşenur Koçyiğit ,  
  3. Ben Alpagut ,  
  4. Damla Muhcu
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Abstract

Background

The Positive Energy District (PED) concept aims to transform urban areas into carbon-neutral and zero-energy communities by reducing energy consumption and increasing renewable energy production. However, challenges remain in making effective decisions, including inconsistent data sources, difficulties in collaboration among stakeholders, and the need to merge interdisciplinary technical and scientific knowledge. Hence, GIS-based frameworks offer mature solutions to address such issues.

Methods

This study introduces a three-dimensional (3D) GIS-based framework designed to improve decision-making in PEDs, with a particular focus on spatiotemporal analyses of solar energy potential. The rationale behind selecting solar energy is the high potential of urban areas for suitability, as well as the legal and technical constraints associated with wind and hydro energy production within densely populated areas and built-up areas. The literature review showed that the combined use of 3D GIS and PED concepts has not yet been widely explored, despite the significant potential that exists. The developed framework were deployed and tested in the case study area – the Caferağa neighborhood of Kadıköy, Türkiye. In order to test and validate the achieved results, various platforms are utilized and compared.

Results

The 3D GIS-based framework demonstrated several advantages over traditional systems. It utilized spatial data, including high-resolution 3D building models, to assess solar potential, employing and comparing various spatial tools. Comprehensive analyses were performed to assess the exposure of buildings to sunlight during different seasons and to evaluate the shading effects encountered throughout the day. The analysis of sun hour revealed that only 5% of the entire work area received more than nine hours of sunlight during the winter. Additionally, when evaluating the solar potential, a 22.29% discrepancy was found within utilized platforms.

Conclusion

The achieved results are promising, where co-creation, co-design- and co-implementation could be performed collaboratively via designed platform that seamlessly integrate data, functions, necessary tools and expertise. The results indicate that 3D spatial analyses promote the potential for solar energy and aid decision-makers in the complex processes of designing and expanding PEDs.

Corresponding author
Hande Demirel
0000-0003-0338-791X
Grant information

This project has received funding from the European Union’s JPI Urban Europe PED programme under grant agreement number 43786223 (PROPEL project). This project also recieved funding from Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye) under grant agreement no. 122N696 (Positive Robust PED Localities) This project also received funding from European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement no 824418 (MAKING-CITY project).

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Copyright
© 2025 Hande Demirel (Corresponding Author, Co-Author); Ayşenur Koçyiğit (Co-Author); Ben Alpagut (Co-Author); Damla Muhcu (Co-Author) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Amendment

In the recent revisions to the manuscript, the literature review has been expanded, where the relevance to the emerging digital twin conceptis emphasized. Moreover, further analyses were conducted with tools such as PVGIS and Ladybug Tools, enabling the validation of initial findings through comparative evaluation. Furthermore, updates have been made to the "Abstract," "Results and Discussions," and "Conclusion" sections to align with the new findings and provide a more comprehensive overview of methodological enhancements. Particular emphasis has been placed on clarifying the main objective of the study and distinguishing it from existing literature. The relationship between 3D Geographic Information Systems (3D-GIS) and Positive Energy Districts (PED) has also been explicitly addressed, emphasizing the novelty of the manuscript. The updates aim to improve the study's relevance in broader scientific discussions and highlight the innovative features of the approach. A comprehensive review of the entire manuscript has been performed to ensure logical coherence, clarity, and grammatical accuracy. This version has been significantly enhanced, especially in overall quality and scientific contribution.

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Authors & roles

Hande Demirel

Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, İstanbul, 34469, Turkey

Roles
Corresponding Author, Co-Author, Conceptualization, Methodology, Project Administration, Supervision, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0003-0338-791X

Ayşenur Koçyiğit

Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, İstanbul, 34469, Turkey

Roles
Co-Author, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Validation, Writing – Original Draft Preparation
0009-0003-7750-8160

Ben Alpagut

Smart and Sustainable Cities Department, Demir Energy, İstanbul, 34718, Turkey

Roles
Co-Author, Conceptualization, Data Curation, Methodology, Resources, Supervision, Writing – Review & Editing

Damla Muhcu

Department of Project Management, Municipality of Kadıköy, İstanbul, 34716, Turkey

Roles
Co-Author, Conceptualization, Data Curation, Funding Acquisition, Resources, Validation, Visualization

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