An Evaluation of Mean Radiant Temperature Estimations in an Arid Urban Climate
Abstract
Understanding thermal comfort in urban environments is becoming increasingly important with continued urbanization and climate change. The ability to simulate thermal environments can drastically improve future cityscapes and building designs to improve thermal comfort for both employees and patrons in urban areas. This research assesses the efficacy of and limitations to Rayman and ENVI-met models, which are commonly used in thermal comfort analysis. This study compares Rayman and ENVI-met simulations of mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) with detailed physical measurement campaigns using heat stress instruments and mean radiant temperature instrumentation in a section of downtown Tempe, Arizona, USA. Through statistical analyses, we find both Rayman and ENVI-met were capable of representing Tmrt for areas with high sky view factors, but poorly simulated Tmrt in close urban canyons. Overall, ENVI-met was more successful in simulating Tmrt, in part, due to the dynamic coupling of vegetation/soil processes with atmospheric processes and better representation of the urban form.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMGH23C1106C
- Keywords:
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- 0230 Impacts of climate change: human health;
- GEOHEALTHDE: 1626 Global climate models;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 6309 Decision making under uncertainty;
- POLICY SCIENCES