Analysis of Human Thermal Environments in the Apartment Complex by Computer Simulation

Human thermal sensation based on human energy balance model is a physiological index of the energy transfer between human beings and their surrounding environments (sky, buildings, vegetation and ground), and human thermal comfort is a psychological index reflecting cultural, geographical and climatic factors of specific regions based on the human thermal sensation. Climate change makes stronger and longer heat wave periods in summertime, so countermeasures for thermal modification are required in urban and landscape planning as well as design scale. In this presentation, human thermal sensation of a typical apartment complex in Seoul, Republic of Korea, will be shown with measured microclimatic data and computer simulation modeling using ENVI-met. 11 different scenarios with various vegetation and cool material types for thermal modification were analyzed and compared to figure out optimal methods.