Effect of urban micro-climatic regulation ability on public building energy usage carbon emission

Abstract

Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings energy consumption increase disproportionate since the 21st century which would accelerate exhausting the fossil fuel supply and threatening the local climate. Using factor analysis, we study the contribution of four groups of influencing factors to office building energy consumption by integrating social economic, building, macro-climatic and micro-climate regulation factors. It showed that micro-climate controlling ability had the least contribution (with 9.64%) to the office building energy usages. Nevertheless, micro-climate regulation ability should not be ignored for its improvement process is relatively easier and the investment is lower when comparing with renovations on buildings, macro-climate or social-economic conditions. Using a geographical detector model, the effects of urban micro-climate regulation ability on office building energy consumption is further analyzed. The results showed that when integrated with green space and water body, the effect for carbon emission reduction was more obvious than using one of them alone. The green space had area threshold for office building energy usages carbon reduction but water body has not. If land area permitted, water body construction is more suitable than green space for reducing office building energy usage carbon emission. This study will provide urban low carbon building construction from the view of planning and layout of ecological land such as green-space and water space.