Multidimensional Evaluation of Solar Energy on Urban Buildings for Driving the Energy Transition: Insight from Hong Kong, China

Pingan Ni; Jiaqing Yan; Hongli Sun; Hanjie Zheng; Junkang Song; Fuming Lei; Yingjun Yue; Duo Zhang; Xue Zhang; Jingpeng Fu; Yihuan Wang; Jianjun Qin; Guojin Qin; Zengfeng Yan; Bao-Jie He; Borong Lin

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.040

Engineering ›› DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.040

review-article

Multidimensional Evaluation of Solar Energy on Urban Buildings for Driving the Energy Transition: Insight from Hong Kong, China

Pingan Ni ^a^,^b^,^#
, Jiaqing Yan ^b^,^#
, Hongli Sun ^c^,^#
, Hanjie Zheng ^d^,^#
, Junkang Song ^c
, Fuming Lei ^b
, Yingjun Yue ^b
, Duo Zhang ^b
, Xue Zhang ^b
, Jingpeng Fu ^b
, Yihuan Wang ^e^,^f^,^g
, Jianjun Qin ^g
, Guojin Qin ^e^,^f^,^g^,^*
, Zengfeng Yan ^a^,^b^,^*
, Bao-Jie He ^h^,^*
, Borong Lin ⁱ^,^*

Author information +

^aState Key Laboratory of Green Building, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China

^bSchool of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China

^cSchool of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China

^dDepartment of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xihua University 610039, China

^eSchool of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China

^fSichuan Engineering Research Center for Gas Safety and High-Efficiency Utilization, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China

^gState Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Digital Maintenance of Buildings and Infrastructure, School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

^hSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China

ⁱSchool of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

* E-mail address: guojin.qin@swpu.edu.cn

* E-mail address: yanzengfeng@xauat.edu.cn

* E-mail address: baojie.he@cqu.edu.cn

* E-mail address: linbr@tsinghua.edu.cn

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Abstract

In the global transition to low-carbon energy, the multidimensional evaluation of solar energy utilization on building surfaces is crucial for sustainable urban development. Existing studies lack an understanding of the complex interactions between multiple periods, spatial orientations, radiation types, and dynamic thresholds, which hinders a revelation of the spatial–temporal variability of solar energy utilization. This study presents a novel urban-scale multidimensional utilization indicators prediction model with a multi-source heterogeneous data fusion method, employed in Hong Kong, China, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.948 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.228. Results demonstrate that the total solar energy (TSE) reserves of urban building surfaces reach 170 TW·h, with over 60 % deemed usable. The mean shading ratio (MSR) is 39.97 %, with the roof being the lowest at 10.76 %, the south facade at approximately 40 %, and the other facades at around 50 %. Multiple coupled regional, seasonal, and orientation variability in the mean ratio of energy (MRE) over threshold is captured by combining a reasonable baseline utilization threshold (BUT) and a dynamic threshold field (DTF). Model interpretability and parameter sensitivity analyses reveal key variables that influence MRE across various orientations. The practical utilization potential analysis further uncovered spatial and temporal heterogeneity, offering new insights into optimizing installation deployment.

Keywords

Urban scale / Solar energy / Multidimensional analysis / High-density city / Machine learning / Shading ratio

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Pingan Ni, Jiaqing Yan, Hongli Sun, Hanjie Zheng, Junkang Song, Fuming Lei, Yingjun Yue, Duo Zhang, Xue Zhang, Jingpeng Fu, Yihuan Wang, Jianjun Qin, Guojin Qin, Zengfeng Yan, Bao-Jie He, Borong Lin. Multidimensional Evaluation of Solar Energy on Urban Buildings for Driving the Energy Transition: Insight from Hong Kong, China. Engineering DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2025.07.040

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