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Urban form and ecological footprint: Urban form and ecological footprint: A morphological analysis for harnessing solar energy in the suburbs of Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract:

This article discusses the potential of incorporating solar energy in suburban environments rapidly expanding to new growth models, the case study is Cuenca, representative city of Ecuador and Latin America, Cuenca is an intermediate city where 65% of the population is already urban, and projections for the next 30 years make Cuenca one of the cities with one of the fastest growth rates in Latin America. Therefore, incorporating renewable energy could contribute to a reduction of the ecological footprint. A brief literature review was conducted to establish the conceptual basis of the investigation; three zones most peripheral growth in this city were identified for morphological analysis to answer the following questions: What is the energy demand of the neighborhood ?; What is the solar potential of this area? and especially what you are able to meet demand this potential? All this information allowed simulation exercises in order to look at the impact of settlements against the consumption of land according to the use of different types. The most important results achieved in this study are to establish the relationship between typology and land consumption, areas of optimal solar collection, and especially affirm the possibility of making the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, specifically solar energy in the suburban area of Cuenca - Ecuador. It is expected that this information is relevant to decision making by designers and planners is the most successful in this search for new growth models using renewable energy reduce the ecological footprint and simultaneously improve the quality of life of the people who live there.