How cities can minimise energy use

The guide outlines four key strategies for minimising urban energy use through passive design: optimizing spatial layout, building form, dwelling orientation based on latitude, and roof shape. It emphasizes the importance of the surface area to volume (S/V) ratio and form factor in reducing heat loss, particularly for small buildings. Specific guidelines are provided for latitudes above and below 25°, as well as tailored building requirements for various climate types including warm-humid, hot-dry, and cool-temperate zones. Additionally, it discusses how vaulted roofs and their orientation can manage solar radiation and heat dissipation in hot climates.

• Optimizing the spatial layout of settlements can reduce energy costs; for example, organic, non-grid layouts in hot climates provide shade and block winds, whereas grid layouts and wide building spacing fail to provide wind shelter or shade.
• A low surface area to volume (S/V) ratio is optimal for passive, low-carbon buildings. In temperate zones, the target S/V ratio is ≤ 0.7m²/m³. Higher S/V ratios necessitate more insulation to maintain the same U-/R-value; for instance, a 20% increase in the S/V ratio requires an additional 40mm of insulation.
• Building design should vary by latitude. For latitudes above 25°, sun-facing glazing should be at least 50% greater than the combined east- and west-facing glazing, with the building oriented long on the east-west axis. Conversely, for latitudes below 25°, buildings must be protected from low angle heat.
• Building requirements differ by climate type: warm-humid climates require minimized building depth for ventilation; hot-dry climates require minimized surface area and equator-facing walls to reduce heat gain; and cool-temperate climates require minimized surface area to reduce heat loss.
• In hot climate zones, vaulted roofs and domes are more effective than flat roofs at dissipating heat via natural convection. A north-south axis orientation for a vaulted roof is superior for winter heating as it minimizes direct solar radiation in the summer.

APA

Thorpe, D. (2015). How cities can minimise energy use. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-cities-can-minimise-energy-use/

Chicago

Thorpe, David. How cities can minimise energy use. World Economic Forum, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-cities-can-minimise-energy-use/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Thorpe |first1=David |title=How cities can minimise energy use |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=2 January 2015 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-cities-can-minimise-energy-use/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thorpe2015how, author = {Thorpe, David}, title = {{How cities can minimise energy use}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-cities-can-minimise-energy-use/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }