Investigation of microclimate variation in urban areas and its impact on energy consumption using local climate zone framework.
Climate change has been a serious threat to urban dwellers affecting the quality of urban living. Increasing awareness of urban climate impacts on standard of living and comfort conditions, has urged architects/planners to consider climate aspects in development guidelines, as urban form and functions define the microclimate parameters in urban areas. Stewart and Oke (2012) classified the climate of urban areas into seventeen categories based on the urban form, functions and landscape characteristics and termed it as Local climate zone (LCZ) classifications. LCZ studies are used to analyze several urban variables such as urban heat islands, outdoor thermal comfort, building energy consumption, health risks, air pollution, carbon emission etc. Energy consumption in buildings is determined by the microclimate in the surrounding neighbourhood within which they are located. The microclimate in urban areas is altered by urban elements such as building density, sky view factor, aspect ratio / built geometry, percentage of pervious surface, vegetation cover etc. Therefore, this proposal attempts to investigate the microclimate variation of residential neighbourhoods located in different LCZs and their impact on the energy consumption of dwelling units. Research insights of local climate zone characteristics and energy consumption can aid in improving the urban sustainability.
