Urban Microclimate and Energy Modeling: A Review of Integration Approaches

Abstract

Current building energy modeling (BEM) tools lack the capability to inherently simulate the impacts of urban microclimates on building energy performance. While efforts have been made to integrate BEM with Urban Microclimate Modeling (UMM) tools, their ability to capture spatial and seasonal microclimate variations remains limited. This review critically evaluates existing urban microclimate-integrated BEM approaches and their effectiveness in modeling the complex interactions between urban form, microclimate, and building energy performance. Through an analysis of 94 research articles, the review first examines the influence of urban form on microclimates, followed by an assessment of how microclimatic conditions impact building energy use. Additionally, it evaluates conventional modeling frameworks employed in BEM tools and their limitations in representing dynamic microclimatic variations. The findings emphasize the non-linear heat exchange relationships between urban form and microclimate, typically modeled using computationally intensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based UMM tools. This review introduces a classification of heat exchange types: atmospheric heat exchange, involving air temperature, wind, and humidity, and non-atmospheric heat exchange, driven by radiative interactions with surrounding urban surfaces. The study further highlights that modifying standard weather files and heat transfer coefficients alone is insufficient for BEM tools to accurately capture near-surface microclimate variations. By identifying critical insights and research gaps, this review establishes a foundation for advancing next-generation urban microclimate-integrated BEM approaches, emphasizing the need for computationally efficient and dynamically responsive modeling techniques.

Topics & Concepts