Optimising urban office block morphologies with photovoltaic system integration: An energy-environment-economic evaluation under climate change scenarios

Climate change significantly affects the urban block energy consumption and photovoltaic (PV) power generation potential. However, current simulations often neglect these effects, which limits the effectiveness of integrated urban block planning with PV systems. This study aims to quantitatively assess the energy-environment-economic (3E) performance of PV systems in various morphological typologies of office blocks under changing climate scenarios. This study proposes a framework using Rhino & Grasshopper to evaluate near-zero energy office block energy demand and supply throughout their life cycle. Using building typology and statistical methods, we classified and modelled 130 office blocks in Wuhan. The 3E performance was analysed using typical meteorological data for the periods 2010–2039, 2040–2069, and 2070–2099. Results indicated a 30.83 % increase in energy consumption and a 16.89 % rise in carbon emissions from the 2020 s to the 2080 s. The PV power generation potential and carbon reduction benefits increased by 8.39 % from the 2020 s to the 2050 s and then decreased by 2.70 % from the 2050 s to the 2080 s. PV systems could reduce carbon emissions by up to 41.31 % over a 30-year lifespan. Under various climatic scenarios, multi-storey enclosed office blocks (MSE) had the shortest economic payback period (14 years), while super high-rise multi-tower clusters (SHRMTC) had the longest (19 years). This research provides a scalable model for dynamically assessing building energy consumption and PV power generation potential, offering a benchmark for retrofitting existing office blocks with PV systems and planning solar integration in new constructions. This enhances climate adaptability and promotes sustainable urban development.