Benefits of street sun sails to limit building cooling needs in a mediterranean city. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garcia-Nevado, Elena; Duport, Nicolas; Bugeat, Antoine; Beckers, Benoit
• Is Part Of: Building and environment. Volume 187(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Urban textile shading -- Street sun sails -- Cooling energy demand -- Finite element method -- Heat mitigation; Buildings -- Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Building -- Research -- Periodicals; Constructions -- Technique de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 696
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107403
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-1323

Abstract

Abstract: Sun sails are a traditional street-scale shading strategy in Mediterranean cities to improve outdoor comfort. So far, their benefits for indoor comfort remain almost unexplored. To addresses this gap, we carry out thermal simulations using Finite Element Methods (FEM), a still novel approach in urban thermal studies that allows for highly detailed radiative computations at the building and street scales. We assess the potential of street sun sails to limit building cooling demands in a Mediterranean-climate city for twelve urban scenarios differing in orientation, façade reflectance, and sun sail color. Simulations show that the use of street sun sails allows for significant decreases in the air and surface temperature inside buildings, and consequently, in cooling demands (between 12% and 46%). Based on simulation results, we provide design guidelines for the installation of sun sails to maximize their effectiveness. This work illustrates how the rich visual feedback of FEM simulations can aid the decision-making process for urban design. Highlights: Street sun sails can improve not only outdoor but also indoor comfort. We assess the potential of street sun sails to limit cooling needs using FEM simulations. Street sun sails can reduce cooling demands up to 46% in Mediterranean cities. Black sun sails are more effective than white ones in reducing cooling demands. FEM simulations provide visual feedback to aid decision-making in urban design.