Enhancing urban planning for sustainable and solar-optimized neighborhoods – A case study from Morocco

Urban planning is regarded as a major driver of cities’ sustainability and their potential for solar energy production. Yet, the interaction between these elements, particularly when considering key influencing factors, remains insufficiently explored, especially under real-world conditions in many regions worldwide. In this respect, this study investigates the interplay between urban morphology, solar potential and building sustainability in the Mediterranean climate of Tangier, Morocco. Therefore, we selected a reference neighborhood, comprising 104 buildings and clustering common building envelope properties and number of stories across three street categories: primary, secondary and tertiary. The neighborhood’s performance and solar potential were evaluated using key software and tools, involving Rhino, Grasshopper, Ladybug tools and EnergyPlus. The results show that the lowest annual energy use intensity is observed when the primary street, lined with tall buildings, is oriented in an east–west direction. Furthermore, the largest/smallest share of rooftop solar power generation occurs in buildings along primary/tertiary streets. Moreover, optimizing the building height and orientation of the reference neighborhood increases the potential annual carbon emission savings by 12.12%, and boosts the solar system’s energy production by 6.17%, increases its coverage ratio by 7.9%, and reduces its levelized cost of electricity by 5.81%. The outcomes of this research could offer valuable insights to urban planners and policymakers to improve the sustainability of both existing and new neighborhoods, as well as to develop neighborhood-scale renewable energy policies.