Simulation-Based Evaluation of the Effect of Green Roofs in Office Building Districts on Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect and Reducing CO 2 Emissions

Yujiro Hirano, Tomohiko Ihara, Kei Gomi and Tsuyoshi Fujita
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Yujiro Hirano: Fukushima Branch, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Fukushima Environmental Creation Centre, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu Town, Tamura District, Fukushima 963-7700, Japan
Tomohiko Ihara: Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan
Kei Gomi: Fukushima Branch, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Fukushima Environmental Creation Centre, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu Town, Tamura District, Fukushima 963-7700, Japan
Tsuyoshi Fujita: Center for Social and Environmental Systems Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: This study focused on the effects of green roofs in office building districts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of green roofs in the reduction of the urban heat island (UHI) effect and CO 2 emissions. These effects consider decreased energy consumption for space cooling, and the amount of water needed for evapotranspiration on the green roofs. A coupled urban canopy/building energy model (CM-BEM) was utilized to simulate the effectiveness of green roofs. The amount of water needed for evapotranspiration was calculated by using latent heat flux, which was derived from the results of roof surface heat balance calculations. The effect of green roofs on CO 2 emissions was determined based on their effectiveness to reduce the energy demand for space cooling, calculated by air-conditioning load simulation. We calculated the CO 2 emissions from powering the pumps and the use of tap water, when the necessary amount of water was supplied by watering. Finally, the relationships between amount of water, UHI mitigation, and CO 2 emissions were determined.

Keywords: green roof; evapotranspiration; watering; urban heat island; meteorological simulation; CO 2 emission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:7:p:2055-:d:220587

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