Multi-scale correlation analysis between geometric parameters and solar radiation in high density urban environment——Case study in Nanjing

Abstract

This study explores the impact of multi-scale urban morphology on solar radiation in high-density environments, focusing on Nanjing as a case study. Using Grasshopper, the research decomposed urban models into four scales-district, block group, block, and plot-and analyzed eight morphological indicators, including site coverage (SC), floor area ratio (FAR), and block surface ratio (BSR). Solar radiation was simulated for the entire year, the summer solstice, and the winter solstice. Key findings reveal that different scales exhibit varying influences on solar radiation. At the district scale, BSR shows the highest correlation with annual solar radiation (R² = 0.96), while at the neighborhood cluster scale, the minimum distance between buildings (DBmin) is most correlated (R² = 0.7). At the block scale, BSR significantly correlates with summer solar radiation (R²=0.55). At the plot scale, no single indicator strongly correlates with solar radiation, but a combination of indicators is more relevant. These findings enable rapid solar performance assessments in urban design, promoting efficient solar energy use.

Keywords

Multi-scale / High density / Urban form / Solar radiation

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2025 The Author(s). Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Higher Education Press and KeAi.

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