Abstract
The rise of urban air temperature is significantly influenced by rapid urban growth. However, the research on using façade materials to enhance outdoor conditions is limited. Therefore, this research aims to use computational modelling utilising ENVI-met, a numerical simulation tool, to analyse the effectiveness of building materials in urban microclimates. A cluster of buildings in the urban centre of Newcastle upon Tyne was selected and full-force weather conditions were enforced for conducting simulations.
The model was validated against the measured air temperature and relative humidity using statistical indicators such as regression model R-squared, root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) for a typical summer day. The R-squared between the measured and simulated values shows a good agreement for air temperature (0.94) and relative humidity (0.95). RMSE and MAE statistical indicators also show a good agreement for air temperature.
Furthermore, the analysis was conducted for façade materials properties such as high solar reflectance, high thermal emittance, and high specific heat capacity. On a representative summer day, it is observed that the urban air temperature can be reduced up to 1.4 °C by implementing high solar reflective coating, potentially mitigating the UHI effect and enhancing urban thermal comfort.
The model was validated against the measured air temperature and relative humidity using statistical indicators such as regression model R-squared, root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) for a typical summer day. The R-squared between the measured and simulated values shows a good agreement for air temperature (0.94) and relative humidity (0.95). RMSE and MAE statistical indicators also show a good agreement for air temperature.
Furthermore, the analysis was conducted for façade materials properties such as high solar reflectance, high thermal emittance, and high specific heat capacity. On a representative summer day, it is observed that the urban air temperature can be reduced up to 1.4 °C by implementing high solar reflective coating, potentially mitigating the UHI effect and enhancing urban thermal comfort.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sustainable Communities through Digital Transformation |
| Place of Publication | UK |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 11 |
| Pages | 180-198 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Edition | 1st Edition |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003380559 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781032462042 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 29 Apr 2025 |
Funding
This research is conducted as part of the PhD project funded jointly by the Research Development Fund (RFD) and Northumbria University. Appreciation is also extended to all the team members associated with the Urban Observatory project at Newcastle University for developing the open- source, publicly accessible data- sharing platform.
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UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action
Keywords
- UHI effect
- Model Validation
- Building Materials
- Micro-climate
- Outdoor Thermal Comfort
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