Investigating the urban climate – air quality – human response system for a heat/air quality episode in Portland, Oregon

As part of an ongoing project to investigate the complexities in the urban climate system, this presentation will describe interactions between components of the urban environment (meteorology and air quality, human dimensions, urban characteristics and infrastructure) for a July 2006 heat/air quality episode in Portland, Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) called air quality public advisories for ozone on July 21st, 22nd and 23rd 2006. In addition, Heat/Health Watch Advisories were called by the National Weather Service on July 21st and 22nd.

Detailed energy consumption for four distinct neighbourhoods in Portland, in addition to concurrent local meteorological measurements is used to investigate neighbourhood-scale sensitivity of energy consumption to outdoor weather. This data is supplemented by socio-economic/demographic census data and information from phone surveys initiated shortly after the episode for residents living in each of the neighbourhoods. The phone surveys were used to quantify adaptation behaviours and behaviour changes in response to extreme heat and air quality. The data we have collected allows investigation of how load profiles and weather sensitivity of energy consumption differ spatially across a city and how these factors relate to local weather conditions and human dimensions.