The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is particularly concerning in Mediterranean zone, as climate change and UHI scenarios foresee a fast growth of energy consumption for next years, due to the widespread of air conditioning systems and the increase of cooling demand. The UHI intensity is thus a key variable for the prediction of energy needs in urban areas. This study investigates the intensity of UHI in Barcelona (Spain), the densest Mediterranean coastal city, and its impact on cooling demand of residential buildings. The experimental analysis is based on temperature data from rural and urban Weather Stations and field measurements at street level. The maximum average UHI intensity is found to be 2.8 °C in winter and 1.7 °C in summer, reaching 4.3 °C at street level. Simulations performed with EnergyPlus indicate that the UHI intensity increases the sensible cooling load of residential buildings by around 18%–28%, depending on UHI intensity, amount of solar gains and cooling set point. In the light of the results, the UHI intensity in Mediterranean context should be properly considered in performing energy evaluations for urban contexts, since standard meteorological data from airport weather stations are not found to be accurate enough.

Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study / Salvati, Agnese; Coch Roura, Helena; Cecere, Carlo. - In: ENERGY AND BUILDINGS. - ISSN 0378-7788. - ELETTRONICO. - 146:(2017), pp. 38-54. [10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.04.025]

Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study

SALVATI, AGNESE;Coch Roura, Helena;CECERE, Carlo
2017

Abstract

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is particularly concerning in Mediterranean zone, as climate change and UHI scenarios foresee a fast growth of energy consumption for next years, due to the widespread of air conditioning systems and the increase of cooling demand. The UHI intensity is thus a key variable for the prediction of energy needs in urban areas. This study investigates the intensity of UHI in Barcelona (Spain), the densest Mediterranean coastal city, and its impact on cooling demand of residential buildings. The experimental analysis is based on temperature data from rural and urban Weather Stations and field measurements at street level. The maximum average UHI intensity is found to be 2.8 °C in winter and 1.7 °C in summer, reaching 4.3 °C at street level. Simulations performed with EnergyPlus indicate that the UHI intensity increases the sensible cooling load of residential buildings by around 18%–28%, depending on UHI intensity, amount of solar gains and cooling set point. In the light of the results, the UHI intensity in Mediterranean context should be properly considered in performing energy evaluations for urban contexts, since standard meteorological data from airport weather stations are not found to be accurate enough.
2017
Climate data; cooling demand; energy consumption; energy modelling; energyPlus; mediterranean climate; urban climate; urban heat island; weather file; Civil and Structural Engineering; Building and Construction; Mechanical Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study / Salvati, Agnese; Coch Roura, Helena; Cecere, Carlo. - In: ENERGY AND BUILDINGS. - ISSN 0378-7788. - ELETTRONICO. - 146:(2017), pp. 38-54. [10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.04.025]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/960582
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