Dense urban morphology further amplifies extreme weather events due to the urban heat island phenomenon, making cities more vulnerable to extreme weather events. Here, we develop a modelling framework using multi-scale climate and energy system models to assess the combined impact of future climate change and urban densification on renewable energy integration in 18 European cities. We observe a significant change in wind speed and temperature due to the above combined impact, resulting in a significant increase in both peak and annual energy demand. Therefore, additional costs of 20 to 60 % (excluding technological innovations in the building sector) will be needed during the energy transition to ensure climate resilience. Not considering extreme weather conditions will reduce power supply reliability by up to 30%. Energy infrastructure in densely populated urban areas of Southern Europe is more vulnerable to compound impacts, requiring improved flexibility at the design stage when improving the level of renewable energy deployment.

ATD Perera, Kavan Javanroodi, Dasaraden Mauree, Vahid M. Nik,