Influence of Arborization in Building Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort: A Numerical Study in Tropical Climate

Abstract

Throughout the years the human has managed to adapt to its environment by empirically applying bioclimatic design strategies, which has allowed it to survive over the years. Today these strategies have been studied and perfected. This paper shows the direct relationship between different tree configurations and the decrease in electricity consumption, comparing internal gains, electricity consumption, humidity percentage, and PMV index, using dynamic simulations. Results showed evidence of one of the many benefits that arborization entails, the inclusion of trees in the microclimate of a building has a significant and positive influence on the performance of both thermal comfort and electricity consumption. A tree planting strategy configured as a barrier to prevailing winds (in front of the facades with windows) allows obtaining the best results.