Improving the accuracy of simplified urban canopy models for arid regions using site-specific prior information

An overly complex urban climate/energy model would not be of much practical use in a decision support setting where large number year-long simulations are often necessary. While detailed modeling momentum/energy exchanges can attempted via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or mesoscale modeling, conducting multiple full year design optimization sensitivity analysis context is practically impossible. Furthermore, CFD models do consider climate/building energy exchanges. To address these limitations, standalone Urban Canopy Models (UCMs) have been developed, attempting to replace the full-fledged atmospheric representation with computationally light equivalent. In this study, we investigate impact several modifications Single-Layer Model (SLUCM) for an arid region based on prior availability site-specific information. The suggested improvements portable SLUCM schemes incorporated within models. will undergo and each variant evaluated its ability predict UHI intensity air-conditioning demand. Three original covered present study. (1) We actual radiation parameters instead those generated idealized geometries. It shown that, absence improvement, standard UCMs underestimate average heat island by 5% if using Town Energy Balance (TEB) scheme overestimate it 7% Square Prism (SPUC) scheme. (2) results steady-state RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Numerical Simulation) simulation some default morphological UCM more accurate values derived from results. empirical relations up 22%. (3) Instead empirically calculated value canyon wind speed, estimate directly concomitant rural regression trained historical measurements. velocity than 12%, although other indicators (UHI, cooling demand) significantly affected.