Quantifying Urban Microclimate Feedback on Building Energy Use Using a Coupled Simulation Workflow

Leila Pasandi; Zi Qian; Wai Lok Woo

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657

Quantifying Urban Microclimate Feedback on Building Energy Use Using a Coupled Simulation Workflow

Leila Pasandi^*, Zi Qian, Wai Lok Woo

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Computer Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Urban building energy simulations often overlook the dynamic feedback between buildings and their surrounding microclimate, leading to inaccuracies in energy demand predictions, particularly under changing climate conditions. This study presents a novel two-way coupling framework between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus (via Honeybee) to explicitly model the bidirectional interactions between urban microclimate and building thermal performance. The method employs an iterative surface-temperature feedback mechanism through automated EnergyPlus EMS schedule overrides, enabling time-resolved adjustment of boundary conditions across simulation engines.

Original language	English
Article number	113657
Pages (from-to)	1-17
Number of pages	17
Journal	Building and Environment
Volume	285
Early online date	3 Sept 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2025

Keywords

dynamic interaction
heat exchange
urban energy modelling
two-way coupling
energy consumption
building energy performance

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S036013232501128X-mainFinal published version, 11.2 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Quantifying Urban Microclimate Feedback on Building Energy Use Using a Coupled Simulation Workflow",

abstract = "Urban building energy simulations often overlook the dynamic feedback between buildings and their surrounding microclimate, leading to inaccuracies in energy demand predictions, particularly under changing climate conditions. This study presents a novel two-way coupling framework between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus (via Honeybee) to explicitly model the bidirectional interactions between urban microclimate and building thermal performance. The method employs an iterative surface-temperature feedback mechanism through automated EnergyPlus EMS schedule overrides, enabling time-resolved adjustment of boundary conditions across simulation engines.",

keywords = "dynamic interaction, heat exchange, urban energy modelling, two-way coupling, energy consumption, building energy performance",

author = "Leila Pasandi and Zi Qian and Woo, \{Wai Lok\}",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657",

language = "English",

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T1 - Quantifying Urban Microclimate Feedback on Building Energy Use Using a Coupled Simulation Workflow

AU - Pasandi, Leila

AU - Qian, Zi

AU - Woo, Wai Lok

PY - 2025/11/1

Y1 - 2025/11/1

N2 - Urban building energy simulations often overlook the dynamic feedback between buildings and their surrounding microclimate, leading to inaccuracies in energy demand predictions, particularly under changing climate conditions. This study presents a novel two-way coupling framework between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus (via Honeybee) to explicitly model the bidirectional interactions between urban microclimate and building thermal performance. The method employs an iterative surface-temperature feedback mechanism through automated EnergyPlus EMS schedule overrides, enabling time-resolved adjustment of boundary conditions across simulation engines.

AB - Urban building energy simulations often overlook the dynamic feedback between buildings and their surrounding microclimate, leading to inaccuracies in energy demand predictions, particularly under changing climate conditions. This study presents a novel two-way coupling framework between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus (via Honeybee) to explicitly model the bidirectional interactions between urban microclimate and building thermal performance. The method employs an iterative surface-temperature feedback mechanism through automated EnergyPlus EMS schedule overrides, enabling time-resolved adjustment of boundary conditions across simulation engines.

KW - dynamic interaction

KW - heat exchange

KW - urban energy modelling

KW - two-way coupling

KW - energy consumption

KW - building energy performance

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015473063

U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657

DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113657

M3 - Article

SN - 0360-1323

VL - 285

SP - 1

EP - 17

JO - Building and Environment

JF - Building and Environment

M1 - 113657

ER -

Quantifying Urban Microclimate Feedback on Building Energy Use Using a Coupled Simulation Workflow

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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