Floating District Energy Planning

Exploring the Impact of Urban Form on Heating and Cooling Energy Demand in a Floating District Using Parametric Modelling

The municipality of Amsterdam is exploring the feasibility of a large-scale floating district (FD) designed to be self-sufficient in its energy needs. Creating this new floating urban form presents an opportunity to integrate the complex interactions between energy planning and urban design during the early stages of the FD project. This research aims to contribute to the feasibility exploration of the FD project by examining how urban form and energy planning interact at the urban block scale, focusing specifically on the impact of horizontal and vertical density on the surface water thermal energy system (SWTE). To achieve this, the study integrates findings from co-creation sessions, desk research, and expert feedback to develop a parametric model using Rhinoceros 3D CAD software with Grasshopper and Ladybug plugins. The model, validated against benchmark values, evaluates six urban form scenarios with varying horizontal and vertical densities. The impact of these urban form parameters on the energy system is assessed, focusing on the simulation of demand reduction, reuse potential, and solar production potential. The results indicate that variations in horizontal density do not affect operational thermal energy demand or reuse potential, despite changes in solar potential on building facades. In contrast, vertical density variations impact the system, with high-rise scenarios (three floors) achieving the optimum regarding KPIs. Model simplifications, such as assuming constant building heights and excluding direct building adjacency, limit representativity. The research also highlights a lack of urban form metrics applicable to new large-scale designs and floating urban forms. This study highlights the complex interactions between urban form and energy systems, emphasising the need to expand current model functionality. The theoretical framework, workflow, and model developed here provide a foundation for future research to enhance model accuracy and applicability to urban floating development. Conducted as part of a six-month internship at the Amsterdam Municipality Ingenieursbureau in collaboration with the AMS Institute, these findings support decision-making on energy planning and district design, contributing to sustainable urban development and the acceleration of the energy transition.