How does anthropogenic heat emissions from buildings affect urban heat island intensity? Based on neighborhood scale and urban scale analysis

Abstract

As global climate change intensifies, anthropogenic heat emissions from buildings (AHEB) have become a key factor in the deterioration of the urban thermal environment. This study investigated the effect of AHEB on the outdoor thermal environment and its contribution to the urban heat island (UHI) in different Local Climate Zones (LCZ) in Guangzhou City. This study explores the spatial distribution of AHEB induced temperature changes through numerical simulation by building an AHEB model. Secondly, the thermal storage effect of AHEB and its influencing factors are analyzed through statistical analysis methods. Finally, AHEB mitigation measures are proposed to quantify the impacts of AHEB on the urban environment. The results showed that a very compact low-rise residential neighborhood (LCZ2.5) exhibited ambient temperatures 1.3 °C higher than other layouts. Building density, height, and configuration significantly influenced the thermal storage effect of AHEB. The contribution of AHEB to UHI varied throughout the day, reaching a minimum of approximately 5 % between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., while peaking between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., contributing about 54 % to the UHI effect. This study proposes improvement measures for AHEB from four different perspectives. These findings offer valuable guidance for planning and designing residential neighborhoods in hot, humid areas, helping to mitigate AHEB adverse effects on the urban thermal environment.