The Relation Between Urban and Building Form, Microclimate, and the Energy Consumption of Buildings: A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Analysis
Gunwon Lee1, Yunnam Jeong2
1Gunwon Lee, Korea University, Korea.
2Yunnam Jeong, Hoseo University, Korea
Manuscript received on 01 May 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 15 May 2019 | Manuscript published on 30 May 2019 | PP: 2696-2707| Volume-8 Issue-7, May 2019 | Retrieval Number: G6388058719/19©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: This study investigates urban design elements such as urban and building form and microclimate, which have been establish in previous research as well-known factors affecting the energy consumption of buildings, and structuralizes the relationship between these variables. In particular, it focuses on the mediating relationship between urban and building form and environmental variables and microclimate. To this end, the energy consumption of selected buildings within a radius of 500 meters of 23 Automated Weather Stations (AWS), measurement points selected by the Meteorological Office of the City of Seoul, in August of 2017 was analyzed. The study employed structural equation modelling (SEM), a method that structuralizes the relationships of different variables. The results show that there is a potential correlation among urban elements, vegetation and shade elements, and public space elements; the same is true for the relation between public space and façade elements. It was also found that microclimate plays a mediating role when urban elements, public space elements, and vegetation and shade elements affect the energy consumption of buildings. This study is meaningful in that it contributes to the establishment of a foundation for a realistic and comprehensive plan to manage the energy consumption of buildings by summarizing and structuralizing the results of previous research.
Keyword: Urban design, SEM (Structural Equation Modeling), Buildings Energy Consumption, Urban form and Tissue, Building form and Character.
Scope of the Article: Energy Efficient Building Technology