Designing sustainable energy landscapes : concepts, principles and procedures

The depletion of fossil fuels, in combination with climate change, necessitates a transition to sustainable energy systems. Such systems are characterized by a decreased energy demand and an increase in the use of renewables. The objective of this dissertation is to advance the planning and design of sustainable landscapes, where energy needs can be fulfilled by locally-available renewable sources. What is important to the designer is to understand the principles by which sustainable energy landscapes can be designed, and how to organize the design process. Three different approaches have been pursued: research for design, research of design, and research-driven design. The study reveals three points of particular importance. First, the concept of exergy is critical; it draws special attention to the quality of energy carriers and the organization of sources and sinks in space and time. Second, the optimum scales of energy systems vary and depend on factors such as the quality of the energy carrier and infrastructure. Third, the long-term nature of creating sustainable landscapes requires us to go beyond conventional planning and design practice. The five-step framework proposed in this dissertation can help to integrate current trends and critical uncertainties into the design process.