Relation between urban form and heating energy consumption

Özet

The climate change and accompanying environmental problems have led differentdisciplines to think about that the natural resources soon start to run out.Rapid urbanization and industrialization and increasing pressure on natural resourceshave brought the concept of sustainability in urban planning discipline.Rapidly depleted energy sources threatened by uncontrolled growth have led tothe emergence of new planning strategies and urbanization trends in urban energyefficiency and sustainable planning. There are many multidimensional studiesin the context of urban parameters aims to provide sustainable settlements. Oneof those parameters is urban form, which comprises the spatial composition ofbuildings and open spaces in a physical texture. Theoretically, it is already knownthat there is a strong relation between urban form and energy consumption; butthere is a lack of examination on existing settlements. This paper examines therelationship between urban form and heating energy consumption in different urbantextures from Istanbul using the actual values of heating energy consumptionto show up if the practical results are compatible with theoretical assumptions. Itfocuses on energy performance of urban textures and takes human behavioursand socioeconomic factors into account as another layer. Case study clearly underlinesthat the urban form of settlements creates a significant difference aboutthe consumption of heating energy, while human behaviours and socioeconomicfactors also have apparent impacts on it.