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Influence of sky view factor on outdoor thermal environment and physiological equivalent temperature

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Abstract

Sky view factor (SVF), which is an indicator of urban canyon geometry, affects the surface energy balance, local air circulation, and outdoor thermal comfort. This study focused on a continuous and long-term meteorological observation system to investigate the effects of SVF on outdoor thermal conditions and physiological equivalent temperature (PET) in the central business district (CBD) of Beijing (which is located within Chaoyang District), specifically addressed current knowledge gaps for SVF-PET relationships in cities with typical continental/microthermal climates. An urban sub-domain scale model and the RayMan model were used to diagnose wind fields and to calculate SVF and long-term PET, respectively. Analytical results show that the extent of shading contributes to variations in thermal perception distribution. Highly shaded areas (SVF <0.3) typically exhibit less frequent hot conditions during summer, while enduring longer periods of cold discomfort in winter than moderately shaded areas (0.3< SVF <0.5) and slightly shaded areas (SVF >0.5), and vice versa. Because Beijing has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate with hot summers and long, cold, windy, and dry winters, a design project that ideally provides moderate shading should be planned to balance hot discomfort in summer and cold discomfort in winter, which effectively prolongs the comfort periods in outdoor spaces throughout the entire year. This research indicate that climate zone characteristics, urban environmental conditions, and thermal comfort requirements of residents must be accounted for in local-scale scientific planning and design, i.e., for urban canyon streets and residential estates.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the College Graduate Research & Innovation Projects of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. CXLX12_0514), the Ministry of Science & Technology of China (Grant No. 2010CB428506 and No. 2012BAC23B01), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41175015). The authors express special thanks to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, No. 219 Ningliu Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210044, China

    Xiaodong He, Shiguang Miao & Shuanghe Shen

  2. Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, No.55 Beiwaxili Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100089, China

    Xiaodong He, Shiguang Miao & Ju Li

  3. Chaoyang Meteorological Service, No.6 Dongfeng South Road, Beijing, China

    Benzhi Zhang, Ziyue Zhang & Xiujie Chen

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  1. Xiaodong He
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  2. Shiguang Miao
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  3. Shuanghe Shen
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  4. Ju Li
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  5. Benzhi Zhang
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  6. Ziyue Zhang
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Correspondence to Shuanghe Shen.

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He, X., Miao, S., Shen, S. et al. Influence of sky view factor on outdoor thermal environment and physiological equivalent temperature. Int J Biometeorol 59, 285–297 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0841-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0841-5

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