Urban microclimatic modeling for apartment’s thermo-energy simulation in high-rise buildings in Mendoza-Argentina. ENVI-met and EnergyPlus software integration.

Abstract

The studied city, Mendoza, Argentina, has an intense urban afforestation, defining two strata in height: above and below the tree canopy. In this context, the thermal behavior of high buildings apartments will modify according to the surrounding environment. This article proposes the integration of two simulation programs, with the objective of taking advantage of the predictive potential of the urban simulation model (ENVI-met) and creating reliable microclimatic data for the thermo-energy simulation (Energy- Plus) of high-rise buildings in Mendoza. The methodology consists of the design and validation of urban and building models through microclimatic data registered in situ. We simulated the internal thermal behavior of apartments at different heights by means of the introduction of the specific urban microclimatic data. The results obtained reveal the capabilities of working with ENVI-met as a tool for the generation of the climatic data necessary to simulate in EnergyPlus, constituting a fundamental knowledge for the building’s urban energy modeling.