Assessing the impact of trees evapotranspiration rate on Building Cooling Demand : A Case study of Ahmedabad
The Directed Research Program (DRP) focuses on evaluating
the impact of trees on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in Ahmedabad. Vegetation plays a
crucial role in mitigating the UHI effect by providing shade and reducing direct solar
radiation gains. However, it also contributes to a building's latent cooling load through the
process of evapotranspiration. Understanding this trade-off between the cooling benefits
and the potential increase in latent cooling load due to a tree's evapotranspiration rate is
essential and needs to be studied.
A methodology must be developed to accurately determine the evapotranspiration rate of
trees. This would enable the selection of specific tree species based on their
evapotranspiration rates and climatic conditions, allowing for strategic planting to mitigate
the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) while minimizing the latent cooling loads on buildings.
