Sensitivity analysis of urban microclimatic conditions and building energy consumption on urban parameters by means of idealized numerical simulations

In the present work the mesoscale meteorological model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), coupled with a multilayer urban canopy parameterization and a building energy model (BEP + BEM), is used to analyze the sensitivity of both urban climatic conditions and building energy consumption on parameters characterizing urban materials and the building environment. In particular, simulations in an idealized urban area, with different urban geometry and under different climatic conditions, are compared to evaluate the relative importance of various parameters. Results highlight that the target indoor temperature has the strongest impact on both building energy consumption and external air temperature. Building energy consumption is also significantly affected by other internal building parameters, such as the ventilation rate and the heat produced by equipment and occupants. On the contrary, no significant influence, either on building energy consumption or on air temperature, is found from changes in wall albedo and emissivity.