Influence of Urban Form in Maximizing Solar Energy Utilization for Better Indoor Air Quality in the Neighborhoods of Chennai

Humans have evolved as an outdoor living being from the past and feel disconnected in their day to day life when detached from nature. This was observed as a reflection during the lockdown and in post-pandemic scenarios where outdoor spaces and open streets of neighborhood have emerged as lifelines throughout the world which the built structure could not offer. A large amount of energy consumption, elevated temperatures, pollution levels, and carbon emissions has become the most important variables in acceleration of global warming events. National Clean Air Program (NCAP, 2019) has the goal of a 20–30% reduction of particulate matter (PM) by 2024. There is a necessity to understand the sun’s behavior, amount of radiation incident, its variation over a year or specific conditions, ways to capture them, and also passive building design. Solar energy hardly emits pollution during its use and proper use of this potential can help meet air quality standards. This study aims to address the various environmental consequences of climate change and find a relation between the various urban forms to maximize the solar energy potential, thereby using it to improve the indoor air quality at the neighborhood level. The study will quantify various factors that influence different solar altitude angles for different times of the day and different sunshine duration. Through field investigation mapping and on site measurement, this study will analyze and explore the neighborhoods of Triplicane in the Chennai Metropolitan area. The results will be developed as a matrix and used as a tool to be adapted by architects, urban planners, and designers to translate them into effective strategies for existing and new development.