Identification of existing tools and workflows for solar neighborhood planning

Planning for sustainable neighborhoods is a high priority for many cities. It is therefore important to take the right decisions during the planning phase to ensure that important aspects are considered. One of these important aspects is to consider the harvesting of solar energy in the best possible way. It is however difficult to define the best ways to exploit the incoming solar energy. Solar energy can be used by means of active solar energy production, passively by means of daylighting buildings or outside buildings on the ground for direct solar access or thermal comfort. This different usage can sometimes be conflicting (for example at a building level, in order to maximize the photovoltaic production, it may be necessary to use all the surfaces, therefore preventing the access to daylight). The access to daylight in the street is appreciated during cold days, but shading is preferred during the hotter days.