The Synergistic Relationship between Urban Building Energy Performance, Microclimate, and Urban Elements

Abstract

In recent years, the accuracy of assessing the energy performance of buildings in cities has relied not only on building attributes but also on urban elements (block form, urban canyon, vegetation, blue spaces {refers to water features}, and pavement materials). Approaches to Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) developed to examine energy performance at the urban scale have not given adequate consideration to the impact of urban elements. As a result, the primary aim of the paper is to propose an updated reference matrix for urban planners and architects to use in the initial phases of planning and design processes to improve urban building energy performance by focusing on the effect of urban elements on urban energy performance. This matrix was constructed by analyzing various prior studies that investigated the effect of urban elements on microclimate parameters as well as the impact of microclimate parameters on building energy performance. Then, the matrix clearly displays the indirect influence of urban elements on urban energy performance, particularly cooling and heating loads. New technologies for stakeholders, planners, and architects to enhance the urban energy performance of new urban areas have been developed.

Keywords

• urban building energy modeling
• urban elements
• energy performance
• microclimate parameters