Influence of Arbor on the Cooling Load Characteristics of Rural Houses—A Case Study in the Region of Hangzhou

Xiaoxiao Zhang, Lujie Ni, Tailong Zhang and Feng Qi ()
Additional contact information
Xiaoxiao Zhang: College of Landscape and Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Lujie Ni: College of Landscape and Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Tailong Zhang: College of Landscape and Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Feng Qi: College of Landscape and Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Numerous experiments have shown that trees can reduce the energy consumption of adjacent buildings, but little research has been carried out on how leaf area density (LAD) and the distance between walls and trees (D W-T ) in different orientations affect the energy consumption of rural houses. Using an investigation method, a simulation method, and a remote sensing information extraction method, the impact of different tree-planting scenarios on the energy consumption of typical rural houses was analyzed. The results show that the energy-saving effect becomes more prominent with a higher leaf area density of trees in summer. Under the same conditions, Osmanthus fragrans is the most effective tree, followed by Koelreuteria paniculata , and then pomegranate. Moreover, the energy-saving rate of the rural house increases with a decrease in the wall–crown distance of the tree. For instance, when a Koelreuteria paniculata is planted on the west side of the rural house with a wall–crown distance of 1–3 m, the energy-saving rate ranges from 4.38% to 9.81%. Additionally, the planting orientation of the tree affects the energy-saving rate, with the west-facing orientation being the best and the north-facing orientation being the worst under the same conditions, and the energy-saving rate of the best orientation (west-facing) ranging from 2.11% to 14.98%. By establishing a comprehensive model, it was found that planting Osmanthus fragrans on the west side of a rural house with a 1 m wall–crown distance yields the best energy-saving effect. The results of this study can provide theoretical support for planting trees around rural houses from the perspective of energy saving.

Keywords: rural house; arbor; leaf area density; wall–crown distance; cooling load (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6853/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6853/ (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:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6853-:d:1126986

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

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