URBAN TEXTURE ANALYSIS AND ITS RELATION TO BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Abstract

Overheating due to solar radiation in big cities affect the environmental thermal balance, where building occupants are adapting by utilizing air conditioning to achieve comfortable condition. However, quantification of micro climate condition effect on buildings and vice versa needs further exploration and observation. A parametric study involves urban texture variation has been conducted to observe its effect on district energy performance. These parametric study scenarios, which focus on non-domestic function, are simulated using Integrated Environmental Solutions to study the identified urban texture related to district cooling load and external heat gains through building envelopes. The findings serve to identify the relevant variables which characterize urban density and form; such as floor area ratio, open space ratio, story height, gross site coverage, and sky view factor. Thermal load models have been developed to illustrate how combination of urban texture variables affects the cooling load and heat gain for the whole precinct.