Evaluating the Combined Effect of Climate Change and Urban Microclimate on Buildings’ Heating and Cooling Energy Demand in a Mediterranean City

Stella Tsoka, Kondylia Velikou, Konstantia Tolika and Aikaterini Tsikaloudaki
Additional contact information
Stella Tsoka: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Kondylia Velikou: School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Konstantia Tolika: School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Aikaterini Tsikaloudaki: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-23

Abstract: Climate change has a major impact on the urban built environment, both with respect to the heating and cooling energy requirements, but also regarding the higher probability of confronting extreme events such as heatwaves. In parallel, the ongoing urbanization, the urban microclimate and the formation of the urban heat island effect, compounding the ongoing climate change, is also a considerable determinant of the building’s energy behavior and the outdoor thermal environment. To evaluate the magnitude of the complex phenomenon, the current research investigates the effect of climate change and urban heat island on heating and cooling energy needs of an urban building unit in Thessaloniki, Greece. The study comparatively evaluates different tools for the generation of future weather datasets, considering both statistical and dynamical downscaling methods, with the latter involving the use of a regional climate model. Based on the output of the regional climate model, another future weather dataset is created, considering not only the general climatic conditions, but also the microclimatic parameters of the examined case study area, under the future climate projections. The generated future weather datasets are then used as an input parameter in the dynamic energy performance simulations with EnergyPlus. For all examined weather datasets, the simulation results show a decrease of the heating energy use, an effect that is strongly counterbalanced by the rise of the cooling energy demand. The obtained simulation results also reveal the contribution of the urban warming of the ongoing climate change, demonstrating the need to perform a holistic analysis for the buildings’ energy needs under future climate conditions.

Keywords: climate change; building energy performance; future weather datasets; heating and cooling energy demand; statistical and dynamical downscaling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5799/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5799/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:18:p:5799-:d:635268

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().