HEAT ISLANDS

By

SRISHTI JOSHI
Bachelor in Architecture

Submitted In fulfillment of the Minor project

Guided byMr.Jatish K. Bag Vastukala Academy May 2011

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled Heat islands " being submitted by Srishtijoshitowards the fulfillment of the requirement for the minor project, under the programme of B.Architecture in vastukala academy is a record of bonafide work carried out by her under my guidance and supervision.

The report or any part thereof has not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.

PROF. JATISH K. BAG

Vastukala academy New Delhi- 110016

Date: 10th may 2011 Place: New Delhi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author expresses his great indebtedness and sincere thanks to prof. Jatish bagfor his valuable guidance and support throughout the project work. His discerning guidance, valuable suggestions and constant encouragement throughout the course of work shall not be forgettable. The freedom and complete faith that he bestowed on author throughout inculcated a deep sense of responsibility to achieve the desired objectives of the project.

The author thanks the assessors from various back grounds for the guidance during the project as it will not be exaggerating fact to mention here that without their help, this work would have never been accomplished so successfully. The last but not the least the author expresses his hearty thanks to all friends and I my family who have extended their support for the success of this Independent study.

Srishtijoshi B.Arch.(IIIrd year)

ABSTRACT

Development comes with its drawbacks which are quite evident in present scenario as more and more countries are progressing, they are getting entangled in the trap of man-made and natural hazards. Before concrete was discovered there were mud houses ,mud being pervious allowed minimal heat gain thus maintaining the outdoor and indoor temperature balance, the discovery of impervious concrete brought with construction of permanent structures but on the same time disturbing that balance. This development is forcing us to build thousands of concrete structures which are thereby replacing the green areas as green areas fetches less or no money but once being converted into a building it could be utilized for various purposes. As the population is increasing the demand for houses and roads (which are lifeline of the country ) is increasing, roads and roofs of houses which are the storehouse of solar heat is absorbing more and more heat leading to GLOBAL WARMING ,Which is proving to be a menace for the entire nation.

Now, the time has come to put a stop on this greed for development at the stake of disturbing the natural balance. So the aim of this study is to understand HEAT ISLANDS, its causes, impact and how we as architects could come up with ideas friendly to nature to reduce its impact.

Table of Contents
Page No. Certificate I Acknowledgement II Abstract III Table of contents IV List of Figures VI List of Tables VII VIII List of Symbols CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 General 1 1 .2 Past research 4 1 .3 Scope 5 1 .4 Objective of present work 6 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Definition and theory of 7 Intelligent sustainable building 2.2 Building energy performance , 8 assessment & schemes 2.2.1 LEED scheme 9 2.2.2 BREEAM scheme 12 2.2.3 Green Star scheme 15 2.2.4 Green Rating for Integrated 19 Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)

1-6

7-34

LIST OF FIGURES

FIG. 1.1 SKETCH OF AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND PROFILE FIG.1.2 FIG.1.3 FIG.1.4 FIG.1.5 FIG.1.6 FIG.1.7 FIG. 1.8 FIG. 1.9 FIG. 1.10 FIG. 1.11 FIG. 1.11 FIG. 1.12 FIG. 1.13 TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN LOS ANGELES EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE RISE ON OZONE CONCENTRATION MITIGATION MEASURES DOE MISSION STATEMENT ISOTHERM MAP VARIATION OF SURFACE AND ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES IMPERVIOUS SURFACES AND REDUCED EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

Solar Energy versus Wavelength Reaching Earths Surface

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1.1 BASIC CHARACTERSTICS OF SURFACE AND ATMOSPHERIC HEAT ISLANDS TABLE 1.2

LIST OF SYMBOLS
Symbols.Description __________________________________
UHI URBAN HEAT ISLANDS EPA DOE ENVIROMENT PROTECTION AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

INTRODUCTION

Urban Heat Island Basics

As urban areas develop, changes occur in the landscape. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation. Surfaces that were once permeable and moist generally become impermeable and dry.* Many urban and suburban areas experience elevated temperatures compared to their outlying rural surroundings; this difference in temperature is what constitutes an urban heat island. The annual mean air temperature of a city with one million or more people can be 1.8 to 5.4F (1 to 3C) warmer than its surroundings,1and on a clear, calm night, this temperature difference can be as much as 22F (12C).2 Even smaller cities and towns will produce heat islands, though the effect often decreases as city size decreases.

FIG. 1.1

PAST RESEARCH AND FUTURE SCOPE

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) AND ENVIROMENT PROTECTION AGENCY, two

environmental agencies in U.S have been doing research on heat islands and coming up with journals, presentations and seminars regarding the same. Through their research program they made following inferences:-

FIG. 1.2

The annual maximum temperatures in Los Angeles show a cooling trend from the 1880s to the 1930s, probably because of increased irrigation and rapidly expanding orchards around the city. Since the 1940s, the temperatures have increased by about 6F (1F per decade).

FIG. 1.3

The impact of the heat island is also seen in smog. The formation of smog is highly sensitive to temperatures; the higher the temperature, the higher the formation and, hence, the concentration of smog. In Los Angeles at temperatures below 70F, the concentration of smog (measured as ozone) is below the national standard. At temperatures of about 95F all days are smoggy. Cooling the city by about 5F would have a dramatic impact on smog concentration.

FIG. 1.4

Measures to cool heat islands are simple and have been known to human beings for ages: reflective surfaces and trees. Reflective roofs on a building directly reduce the heat conduction into the building and reduce air-conditioning use. Similarly, trees shading a building reduce air-conditioning use. Furthermore, many reflective surfaces (roofs and pavements) and urban vegetation in a neighborhood alter the surface energy balance and result in a lower ambient temperature, in turn leading to further reduction in air-conditioning energy use and urban smog.

FIG. 1.5

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The study aims at analysis of heat islands which is a new term in environmental studies, understand its causes and implications and how is it contributing to global warming thereby helping the architect today in formulating possible solutions to reduce its impact and thereby reducing global warming. It is to aware people that the drastic changes in global climate is not natural and is due to our human actions ,so its the time to stand as one to curb this global problem And in the end bring us to a more mature and profound understanding of heat islands The objectives to be achieved through this report are.y y y To understand heat islands To understand how we as architects could reduce its impact To incorporate all the possible solutions in our design problems.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This report would identify the causes, effects and remedies of heat islands. It will analyze the reasons behind why its wasn t that prevalent in the past. It will also identify all the possible reasons behind it taking the form of a global PROBLEM

LITERATURE REVIEW
TYPES OF HEAT ISLANDS

Surface Urban Heat Islands Surface heat islands basically comprises of solar heat gained through surfaces like roofs, roads and pavements. Sun heats up exposed urban surfaces to temperatures 50 to 90F (27 to 50C) hotter than air, while shaded or moist surfaces often in rural areas remain close to air temperatures. Surface heat islands tend to be strongest during day.

On average, the difference in daytime surface temperatures between developed and rural areas is 18 to 27F (10 to 15C); the difference in nighttime surface temperatures is typically smaller, at 9 to 18F (5 to 10C). The magnitude of surface urban heat islands varies with seasons, due to changes in the suns intensity as well as ground cover and weather. As a result of such variation, surface urban heat islands are typically largest in the summer.7 To identify urban heat islands, scientists use direct and indirect methods, numerical modeling, and estimates based on empirical models. Researchers often use remote sensing, an indirect measurement technique, to estimate surface temperatures.

Atmospheric heat islands

Warmer air in urban areas compared to cooler air in nearby rural surroundings defines atmospheric urban heat islands. Its been divided into two types:Canopy layer urban heat islands exist in the layer of air where people live, from the ground to below the tops of trees and roofs. Boundary layer urban heat islands start from the rooftop and treetop level and extend up to the point where urban landscapes no longer influence the atmosphere. This region typically extends no more than one mile (1.5 km) from the surface.8 Atmospheric urban heat islands are often weak during the late morning and throughout the day and become more pronounced after sunset due to the slow release of heat from urban infrastructure.

Ref.

( http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/ )

TABLE 1.1

Researchers typically measure air temperatures through a dense network of sampling points from fixed stations or mobile traverses, which are both direct measurement methods. Figure 3 illustrates a conceptual isotherm map that depicts an atmospheric urban heat island. The center of the figure, which is the hottest area, is the urban core. A simple graph of temperature differences, as shown in Figure 4, is another way to show the results.

Figure 1.6: Isotherm Map Depicting an Atmospheric Nighttime Urban Heat Island

Ref.

( http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/ )

FIG. 1.7

Ref.

( http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/ )

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FORMATION OF HEAT ISLANDS

Reduced Vegetation in Urban Areas In rural areas, vegetation and open land typically dominate the landscape. Trees and vegetation provide shade, which helps lower surface temperatures. They also help reduce air temperatures through a process called evapotranspiration, in which plants release water to the surrounding air, dissipating ambient heat. In contrast, urban areas are characterized by dry, impervious surfaces, such as conventional roofs, sidewalks, roads, and parking lots. As cities develop, more vegetation is lost, and more surfaces are paved or covered with buildings. The change in ground cover results in less shade and moisture to keep urban areas cool. Built up areas evaporate less water, which contributes to elevated surface and air temperatures.

FIG. 1.8

Highly developed urban areas (right), which are characterized by 75%-100% impervious surfaces, have less surface moisture available for evapotranspiration than natural ground cover, which has less than 10% impervious cover (left). This characteristic contributes to higher surface and air temperatures in urban areas.

Ref.

( http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/ )

PROPERTIES OF URBAN MATERIAL

Properties of urban materials, in particular solar reflectance, thermal emissivity, and heat capacity, also influence urban heat island development, as they determine how the suns energy is reflected, emitted, and absorbed. Figure 6 shows the typical solar energy that reaches the Earths surface on a clear summer day. Solar energy is composed of ultraviolet (UV) rays, visible light, and infrared energy, each reaching the Earth in different percentages: five percent of solar energy is in the UV spectrum, including the type of rays responsible for sunburn; 43 percent of solar energy is visible light, in colors ranging from violet to red; and the remaining 52 percent of solar energy is infrared, felt as heat. Energy in all of these wavelengths contributes to urban heat island formation. Solar reflectance, or albedo, is the percentage of solar energy reflected by a surface. Much of the suns energy is found in the visible wavelengths (see Figure 6); thus, solar reflectance is correlated with a materials color. Darker surfaces tend to have lower solar reflectance values than lighter surfaces. Researchers are studying and developing cool colored materials, though, that use specially engineered pigments that reflect well in the infrared wavelengths. These products can be dark in color but have a solar reflectance close to that of a white or light-colored material. (See the Cool Roofs chapter for further discussion of cool colored roof products.) Figure 1.9: Solar Energy versus Wavelength Reaching Earths Surface

URBAN GEOMETRY

An additional factor that influences urban heat island development, particularly at night, is urban geometry, which refers to the dimensions and spacing of buildings within a city. Urban geometry influences wind flow, energy absorption, and a given surfaces ability to emit long-wave radiation back to space. In developed areas, surfaces and structures are often at least partially obstructed by objects, such as neighboring buildings, and become large thermal masses that cannot release their heat very readily because of these obstructions. Especially at night, the air above urban centers is typically warmer than air over rural areas. Nighttime atmospheric heat islands can have serious health implications for urban residents during heat waves (see textbox in Section 3.3, Factors in Heat-Related Illnesses and Death.) Researchers often focus on an aspect of urban geometry called urban canyons, which can be illustrated by a relatively narrow street lined by tall buildings. During the day, urban canyons can have competing effects. On the one hand, tall buildings can create shade, reducing surface and air temperatures. On the other, when sunlight reaches surfaces in the canyon, the suns energy is reflected and absorbed by building walls, which further lowers the citys overall albedothe net reflectance from surface albedo plus urban geometryand can increase temperatures.11 At night, urban canyons generally impede cooling, as buildings and structures can obstruct the heat that is being released from urban infrastructure.

FIG. 1.8

CONSEQUENCES GLOBAL WARMING

DEGRADATION OF AIR QUALITY

For every degree Fahrenheit the temperature rises increases by 3%.

above 70F, the incidence of smog

INCREASE IN POWER COSUMPTION

Higher temperatures in urban heat islands bring with them increased energy use, mostly due to a greater demand for air conditioning. As power plants burn more fossil fuels, they increase both the pollution level and energy costs.

Higher

temperatures in urban heat islands bring with them increased energy use, mostly due to a greater demand for air conditioning. As power plants burn more fossil fuels, they increase both the pollution level and energy costs.

SOLUTIONS
VEGETATION Trees have great potential to cool cities by shading and by "evapotranspiration." Evapotranspiration occurs when plants secrete or "transpire" water through pores in their leaves-in a way, plants sweat like people do. The water draws heat as it evaporates, cooling the air in the process. A single mature, properly watered tree with a crown of 30 feet can

"evapotranspire" up to 40 gallons of water in a day, which is like removing all the heat produced in four hours by a small electric space heater.

PLACEMENT OF TREES

SOUTH WEST - NORTH WEST SIDE Southwest - northwest side is the worst directions, so should be treated with the cover of evergreen trees. For e.g.

Rest of the directions should be treated with the cover of deciduous trees which shade during summers and shed their leaves in winter to allow penetration of winter sun. for e.g.

MATERIALS

PAVEMENTS AND ROADS

Black surfaces in the sun can become up to 70F (40C) hotter than the most reflective white surfaces. Roads and parking lots are frequently paved with black asphalt concrete (commonly called "asphalt") and other dark materials that absorb most of the sunlight that falls upon them. The energy of the sunlight is converted into thermal energy and pavements get hot, heating the air around them and contributing greatly to the heat island effect. Asphalt concrete (

commonly called "asphalt") is frequently

used in paving city streets. It is black, which means that it absorbs most of the sunlight

ROOFING

COOL ROOFING

Made from inherently cool roofing materials, roofs made of materials that have been coated with a solar reflective coating, or green planted roofs. A roof made of thermoplastic white vinyl, for example, can reflect 80 percent or more of the suns rays and emit at least 70% of the solar radiation that the building absorbs. e.g. Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building, Davis, California

GREEN ROOFING

A Green roof is a roof with a suitably low gradient that is planted with low growing, drought resistant indigenous vegetation in a shallow, lightweight growing medium. They do not require structural supports hence can be established on existing roofs.

FIG.GREEN ROOFING

EARTH SHELTERING

is the architectural practice of using earth against building walls for external thermal mass, to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a steady indoor air temperature. Earth sheltering is popular in modern times among advocates of passive solar and sustainable architecture, but has been around for nearly as long as humans have been constructing their own shelter.

ROOF PONDS

Roof pond is used to denote a system that incorporates a pool of water as a means of heat storage and as heat exchanger or interim heat sink for a building. Heat transfer between a roof pond and the occupied spaces in a building may be by means of direct thermal coupling or indirectly by the mediation of a separate element. In the cooling mode the water in the roof pond acts as a temporary repository of excess heat from the parent building thus contributing to heat dissipation and cooling of indoor spaces. Roof pond water is cooled by natural processes. HOT AND DRY REGIONS The wetting of flat roofs by spraying or flooding.

ROOF POND SYSTEM COMPONENTS

POND SUPPORT Building element in contact with the roof pond should have a high thermal conductivity to provide close thermal coupling between water and the occupied spaces

WATER CONTAINER Water to be contained either in plastic bags or to be contained within the roof parapet over a water tight lining. Water supply is required to replenish the water consumed by evaporation.

PROTECTIVE COVER An insulated cover over a roof pond during daytime can protect the water from unwanted solar gains. SPRAYING AND WATER RECIRCULATION Spraying circulates water from the roof pond, injects droplets to the air above the pond, both the water and adjacent air layers become cooler by evaporation

(http.googlebooks. environmental functions of roof)

APPLICATIONS

MULTIPLE ROOF PONDS

CONCLUSION
This study points out that without the basic understanding of urban heat island, its causes and solutions, one cant aim at reducing the impact of GLOBAL WARMING.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/

http.googlebooks. environmental functions of roof