This thesis examines the utilization possibilities of renewable energy in a housing area. Three different areas were chosen from a new city quarter being planned in Nurmi-Sorila, Tampere. Energy produced by solar heat, solar electricity and wind electricity is calculated for the areas, and the influence of city planning to solar energy production is studied. Building roofs are utilized in solar energy production and wind energy is produced using small scale wind turbines. In addition, utilization of landfill gas in fuel cell is studied and different uses of landfill gas are examined.

A computer program was developed to estimate the availability of solar energy based on 3D models of housing areas. The amount of solar radiation available in Finland is close to that of Central Europe, and according to the performed study, all of the electricity and half of the hot water used in the three study areas could be produced using solar energy. The utilization of solar heat is hindered by high variation of monthly solar radiation.

Wind speeds are estimated based on the Finnish Wind Atlas. Closer simulations using computational fluid dynamics software were performed to estimate wind speeds around an apartment house situated by the lake and trash hill of Tarastenjärvi Waste Management Centre. The energy produced by wind turbines remains fairly low at inland areas. However, for example at the trash hill and roof of an apartment house wind speeds are quite high.

Landfill gas can be used in a fuel cell to produce clean heat and electricity with good efficiency. Landfill gas could be used as the main energy source supplemented with solar and wind energy. It can also be used to produce transport fuel. Converting landfill gas into liquid methanol would make storage and transportation easier.

A price is calculated for the produced renewable energy. The study compares different solar heat and solar electricity technologies, influence of solar panel position on the price and the price of wind electricity at different sites. In particular the price of wind electricity depends highly on the siting of the turbine.