Thermal comfort interventions of landscape elements in a humid and subtropical residential area in China

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed at revealing the subjective thermal comfort intervention of landscape elements in the humid and subtropical residential area of China. Data based on physical measurements and questionnaire surveys were collected. A new empirical model was developed according to microclimatic and subjective criteria, which considers air temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed. According to the empirical model in summer, a decrease of 84 W/m2 in global radiation or an increase of 0.35 m/s in wind speed would have the same effects on thermal perception as a drop of 1 °C in air temperature. A similar analysis could be conducted with the winter model, a change of 20 W/m2 in global radiation or a change of 0.10 m/s in wind speed have the same effects as a change of 1 °C in air temperature. Furthermore, the thermal comfort intervention of tree, shrubs, reflective surface and pervious ground were quantitatively analyzed based on the empirical model. We proposed that large broad-leaved trees and pervious ground were more conducive to the improvement of thermal acceptability during different seasons. The results showed that in summer, the total acceptable area significantly increased by 38.5%, whereas it was slightly reduced by 8.4% in winter.