<b>Study of the microclimate effect in the urban vertical structure in Ourinhos, São Paulo State</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v34i3.12322

Abstract

This study aimed at analyzing the effect of buildings height on the thermal comfort in Ourinhos city – São Paulo State. The following variables were analyzed: air temperature, specific humidity, solar radiation and heat flows. Ourinhos is located in the Southwest of the São Paulo State, on the border with the North of Paraná State. The climate is tropical, with hot humid summer, and cold dry winter. The city has an urban area of 40 km2, with few buildings with more than one floor. In this study the three-dimensional micro-climate ENVI-met model was employed, providing the comfort indices. Two simulations were accomplished, one with the actual height of existing buildings, average height of 5 m, and the other with the hypothetical height of 30 m, in order to examine the changes generated in the thermal comfort caused by the change in the city structure. The date chosen (February 15st, 2010) for the simulation was a summer day at this latitude. The increase in the buildings’ height led to changes in the studied variables modifying the dynamics of local microclimate.