2025
Solar Share
Energy Sharing Neighborhoods: Community-driven energy resilience with decentralized networks
AR
UIUX
Architecture
Intro
What if anybody could benefit from solar energy by sharing across their neighborhood, instead of everyone having their own installation?
My role in the project
As the designer on a multidisciplinary team, My role is to …
Problem
Green energy does not always come together with social justice. Incentives for solar panels installation often do not reach those who need them most.
Those who don’t own a house, or their roof does not meet the requirements, or cannot afford a share of the installation costs. Some households are also more vulnerable to power outages and blackouts, like those with children, seniors or economically disadvantaged. We call that the Energy Vulnerability Index.
Solution
ShareSolar is a proposal for energy sharing neighborhoods that enables renewable energy share across an entire neighborhood
SolarShare presents a framework for enhancing urban energy resilience through community-based energy networks, focusing on vulnerable neighborhoods in San Francisco. We first introduce a comprehensive Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) comprised of six relevant demographic factors for energy vulnerability. Within high-EVI neighborhoods, we apply energy performance metrics and renewable energy accessibility to identify priority intervention zones. Energy sharing is implemented through existing grid infrastructure integrated with a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) network. Using high-resolution spatiotemporal modeling and mixed-integer linear programming optimization, we demonstrate that distributed energy resources coupled with community energy networks can significantly improve energy equity and economic outcomes. Our case studies across three representative urban typologies demonstrate that implementing community-scale photovoltaic systems and storage can reduce energy costs by an average of 58% and increase energy autonomy by an average of 32% across the three neighborhood blocks. The research provides evidence-based strategies for equitable energy infrastructure deployment and policy development, offering a replicable methodology for other urban areas.
Research Methods
Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI)
The Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) was developed to measure a population’s vulnerability to power outages. Each of the six demographic criteria that composes EVI is scaled from 1 to 5, with 1 being the best, and 5 being the worst. The maps below illustrate the spatial distribution for San Francisco of each EVI criteria, with darker colors indicating more severe conditions.
Our algorithms analyze neighborhoods to determine energy demand at each hour of the year, and how much solar energy can be supplied by each roof. Cities have a lot of variation. Residential and commercial buildings use energy differently throughout the day. The costs of grid energy are also different. Some roofs are shaded while others are sunny. We use all that information to choose the best buildings to install solar panels, which become providers of solar energy to others.
Apply
We selected Chinatown, Bayview Hunters Point, and Visitacion Valley as pilot neighborhoods due to their high EVI scores, marking them as critical zones for equitable energy intervention and resilience planning.
For example, a value of 17 indicates a neighborhood with low adaptive capacity, poor energy performance, and limited access to renewable resources, qualifying it as highly energy vulnerable.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Block selection
Visitacion Valley
Chinatown
Bayview Hunters Point
Low-rise residential neighborhood Ample solar access Some commercial buildings One large community center
Dense urban fabric Tall buildings reduced solar access Mix of commercial & residential uses
Low-rise residential neighborhood Unobstructed roof exposures Few commercial buildings
Non Share Scenario
Share Scenario
Result
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
AR Interaction
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Tasks
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
Workflow
WireFrame
AR Interaction
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
EMG sensors measured muscle activity by detecting electrical signals generated by muscle contractions. We placed these sensors on the left and right rectus abdominis—the muscles in the abdominal region—to detect physical sensations like muscle tension and simulated fetal movements.
More Works
(GQ® — 02)
©2024
More Works
(GQ® — 02)
©2024
FAQ
FAQ
01
What tools and technologies used in the project?
02
What is your inpiration?
03
How does the product stand out from the market? What is the result from compatible research?
04
What do you want to improve in the future?
01
What tools and technologies used in the project?
02
What is your inpiration?
03
How does the product stand out from the market? What is the result from compatible research?
04
What do you want to improve in the future?
2025
Solar Share
Hi, I am Rosa® I’m a passionate and innovative 3D designer with over a decade of experience in the field. My journey began with a fascination.
AR
UIUX
Architecture
Intro
What if anybody could benefit from solar energy by sharing across their neighborhood, instead of everyone having their own installation?
My role in the project
As the designer on a multidisciplinary team, My role is to …
Problem
Green energy does not always come together with social justice. Incentives for solar panels installation often do not reach those who need them most.
Those who don’t own a house, or their roof does not meet the requirements, or cannot afford a share of the installation costs. Some households are also more vulnerable to power outages and blackouts, like those with children, seniors or economically disadvantaged. We call that the Energy Vulnerability Index.
Solution
ShareSolar is a proposal for energy sharing neighborhoods that enables renewable energy share across an entire neighborhood
SolarShare presents a framework for enhancing urban energy resilience through community-based energy networks, focusing on vulnerable neighborhoods in San Francisco. We first introduce a comprehensive Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) comprised of six relevant demographic factors for energy vulnerability. Within high-EVI neighborhoods, we apply energy performance metrics and renewable energy accessibility to identify priority intervention zones. Energy sharing is implemented through existing grid infrastructure integrated with a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) network. Using high-resolution spatiotemporal modeling and mixed-integer linear programming optimization, we demonstrate that distributed energy resources coupled with community energy networks can significantly improve energy equity and economic outcomes. Our case studies across three representative urban typologies demonstrate that implementing community-scale photovoltaic systems and storage can reduce energy costs by an average of 58% and increase energy autonomy by an average of 32% across the three neighborhood blocks. The research provides evidence-based strategies for equitable energy infrastructure deployment and policy development, offering a replicable methodology for other urban areas.
Research Methods
Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI)
The Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) was developed to measure a population’s vulnerability to power outages. Each of the six demographic criteria that composes EVI is scaled from 1 to 5, with 1 being the best, and 5 being the worst. The maps below illustrate the spatial distribution for San Francisco of each EVI criteria, with darker colors indicating more severe conditions.
Our algorithms analyze neighborhoods to determine energy demand at each hour of the year, and how much solar energy can be supplied by each roof. Cities have a lot of variation. Residential and commercial buildings use energy differently throughout the day. The costs of grid energy are also different. Some roofs are shaded while others are sunny. We use all that information to choose the best buildings to install solar panels, which become providers of solar energy to others.
Apply
We selected Chinatown, Bayview Hunters Point, and Visitacion Valley as pilot neighborhoods due to their high EVI scores, marking them as critical zones for equitable energy intervention and resilience planning.
For example, a value of 17 indicates a neighborhood with low adaptive capacity, poor energy performance, and limited access to renewable resources, qualifying it as highly energy vulnerable.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Block selection
Visitacion Valley
Chinatown
Bayview Hunters Point
Low-rise residential neighborhood Ample solar access Some commercial buildings One large community center
Dense urban fabric Tall buildings reduced solar access Mix of commercial & residential uses
Low-rise residential neighborhood Unobstructed roof exposures Few commercial buildings
Non Share Scenario
Share Scenario
Result
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Tasks
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
Workflow
WireFrame
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
EMG sensors measured muscle activity by detecting electrical signals generated by muscle contractions. We placed these sensors on the left and right rectus abdominis—the muscles in the abdominal region—to detect physical sensations like muscle tension and simulated fetal movements.
More Works
©2024
FAQ
What tools and technologies used in the project?
What is your inpiration?
How does the product stand out from the market? What is the result from compatible research?
What do you want to improve in the future?
2025
Solar Share
Hi, I am Quinn® I’m a passionate and innovative 3D designer with over a decade of experience in the field. My journey began with a fascination.
AR
UIUX
Architecture
Intro
What if anybody could benefit from solar energy by sharing across their neighborhood, instead of everyone having their own installation?
My role in the project
As the designer on a multidisciplinary team, My role is to …
Problem
Green energy does not always come together with social justice. Incentives for solar panels installation often do not reach those who need them most.
Those who don’t own a house, or their roof does not meet the requirements, or cannot afford a share of the installation costs. Some households are also more vulnerable to power outages and blackouts, like those with children, seniors or economically disadvantaged. We call that the Energy Vulnerability Index.
Solution
ShareSolar is a proposal for energy sharing neighborhoods that enables renewable energy share across an entire neighborhood
SolarShare presents a framework for enhancing urban energy resilience through community-based energy networks, focusing on vulnerable neighborhoods in San Francisco. We first introduce a comprehensive Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) comprised of six relevant demographic factors for energy vulnerability. Within high-EVI neighborhoods, we apply energy performance metrics and renewable energy accessibility to identify priority intervention zones. Energy sharing is implemented through existing grid infrastructure integrated with a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) network. Using high-resolution spatiotemporal modeling and mixed-integer linear programming optimization, we demonstrate that distributed energy resources coupled with community energy networks can significantly improve energy equity and economic outcomes. Our case studies across three representative urban typologies demonstrate that implementing community-scale photovoltaic systems and storage can reduce energy costs by an average of 58% and increase energy autonomy by an average of 32% across the three neighborhood blocks. The research provides evidence-based strategies for equitable energy infrastructure deployment and policy development, offering a replicable methodology for other urban areas.
Research Methods
Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI)
The Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) was developed to measure a population’s vulnerability to power outages. Each of the six demographic criteria that composes EVI is scaled from 1 to 5, with 1 being the best, and 5 being the worst. The maps below illustrate the spatial distribution for San Francisco of each EVI criteria, with darker colors indicating more severe conditions.
Our algorithms analyze neighborhoods to determine energy demand at each hour of the year, and how much solar energy can be supplied by each roof. Cities have a lot of variation. Residential and commercial buildings use energy differently throughout the day. The costs of grid energy are also different. Some roofs are shaded while others are sunny. We use all that information to choose the best buildings to install solar panels, which become providers of solar energy to others.
Apply
We selected Chinatown, Bayview Hunters Point, and Visitacion Valley as pilot neighborhoods due to their high EVI scores, marking them as critical zones for equitable energy intervention and resilience planning.
For example, a value of 17 indicates a neighborhood with low adaptive capacity, poor energy performance, and limited access to renewable resources, qualifying it as highly energy vulnerable.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Block selection
Visitacion Valley
Chinatown
Bayview Hunters Point
Low-rise residential neighborhood Ample solar access Some commercial buildings One large community center
Dense urban fabric Tall buildings reduced solar access Mix of commercial & residential uses
Low-rise residential neighborhood Unobstructed roof exposures Few commercial buildings
Non Share Scenario
Share Scenario
Result
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Tasks
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
Workflow
WireFrame
AR Interaction
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
This interactive experience lets you explore 3 different communities in San Francisco engage with energy resilience and sustainability in AR.
Energy sharing enables commercial buildings with higher energy demands to leverage collective renewable infrastructure, making solar adoption financially viable despite solar exposure constraints.
Energy sharing aggregates solar and battery systems onto optimal rooftops, significantly reducing per-household infrastructure costs while maximizing renewable capacity.
Energy sharing consolidates renewable resources at community center, reducing infrastructure redundancy and powering neighborhood while lowering overall system costs.
EMG sensors measured muscle activity by detecting electrical signals generated by muscle contractions. We placed these sensors on the left and right rectus abdominis—the muscles in the abdominal region—to detect physical sensations like muscle tension and simulated fetal movements.
More Works
(GQ® — 02)
©2024
FAQ
01
What tools and technologies used in the project?
02
What is your inpiration?
03
How does the product stand out from the market? What is the result from compatible research?
04
What do you want to improve in the future?