Studies of Urban Climate Data between High-Rise Buildings for Community Resilience and Energy Efficiency

With world population becoming progressively urbanised, approximately 55% to date and rising by the day, the typology of the skyscraper is promoted as a potentially socially and economically successful solution. However, an important challenge set on a worldwide basis is how to reduce its high-energy demands, environmental and social imbalances to meet growing strict regulations on carbon emissions and sustainable development.

This paper, stemming from on-going research on actual skyscraper construction in the Middle East, looks at the challenges of skyscraper development in relation to energy efficiency and urban planning, by monitoring the changing environmental variables between three high-rise buildings in Tel Aviv, at different heights. For the acquisition of environmental data, three weather stations have been installed, and comparisons are made between: wind speed, wind direction, and dry bulb temperature.

Two weather stations record ambient conditions at two different heights of high-rise tower A, one on the tower’s balcony at approximately 130m high, already above the average height of the surrounding buildings, and the other on the roof at 200m high. Additionally, monitoring is undergoing on the roof of tower B, 165m high, measuring undisturbed wind characteristics that allows an understanding of the influence of upwind urban behaviour at such heights.

The acquisition of environmental data covers two seasons: winter and summer. A further comparison is made on the specific monitoring dates with the EnergyPlus weather file data, taken from a weather station located on the outskirts of the city, and from real life data obtained by a weather station located on the city’s beachfront. The comparisons between the three sets of data locations provide information on the changing environmental variables in relation to the urban fabric: beachfront, Tel Aviv centre (high-rise towers), and outskirts of the city.

A vital consideration in the proposed study are the discrepancies between computer simulation and reality, specifically the issues of wind velocity and air temperature with height. The results prompt for further studies in the environmental variables between high-rise buildings in relation to climate, location within the urban fabric, and building height. As high-rise buildings increase in numbers, such studies become vital for the liveability and sustainable future of our urban environments.