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In the last decades, urban climate researchers have highlighted the need for a reliable provision of meteorological data in the local urban context. Several efforts have been made in this direction using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), demonstrating that they are an accurate alternative to numerical approaches when modelling large time series. However, existing approaches are varied, and it is unclear how much data are needed to train them. This study explores whether the need for training data can be reduced without overly compromising model accuracy, and if model reliability can be increased by selecting the UHI intensity as the main model output instead of air temperature. These two approaches were compared using a common ANN configuration and under different data availability scenarios. Results show that reducing the training dataset from 12 to 9 or even 6 months would still produce reliable results, particularly if the UHI intensity is used. The latter proved to be more effective than the temperature approach under most training scenarios, with an average RMSE improvement of 16.4% when using only 3 months of data. These findings have important implications for urban climate research as they can potentially reduce the duration and cost of field measurement campaigns.
Miguel Núñez-Peiró; Anna Mavrogianni; Phil Symonds; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F. Neila González. Modelling Long-Term Urban Temperatures with Less Training Data: A Comparative Study Using Neural Networks in the City of Madrid. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8143 .
AMA StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró, Anna Mavrogianni, Phil Symonds, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez, F. Neila González. Modelling Long-Term Urban Temperatures with Less Training Data: A Comparative Study Using Neural Networks in the City of Madrid. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8143.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró; Anna Mavrogianni; Phil Symonds; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F. Neila González. 2021. "Modelling Long-Term Urban Temperatures with Less Training Data: A Comparative Study Using Neural Networks in the City of Madrid." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8143.
Field measurement campaigns have grown exponentially in recent years, stemming from the need for reliable data to validate urban climate models and obtain a better understanding of urban climate features. Also contributing to this growth is the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) scheme, firstly developed to enhance the accuracy in the contextualisation of urban measurements, and lately used for characterising urban areas. Due to its relative novelty, researchers are still investigating the potential of LCZs and its indicators for urban temperature variability detection. In this respect, the present study introduces the results of an extensive monitoring campaign carried out in the city of Madrid over a two-year period (2016–2018). The aim of this work is to further examine the relationships between LCZs and air temperature differences, with emphasis on their hourly and seasonal evolution. A graphical and statistical analysis to identify temperature variability trends for each LCZ is performed. Results support the existing evidence suggesting a high level of effectiveness in capturing the heat island (UHI) profile of different urban areas, while underperforming when it comes to capturing diurnal temperature variability. The incorporation of indicators that explain the daytime temperature variation phenomenon into the LCZ scheme is therefore recommended, warranting further research.
Miguel Núñez-Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F. Javier Neila González. Hourly evolution of intra-urban temperature variability across the local climate zones. The case of Madrid. Urban Climate 2021, 39, 100921 .
AMA StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez, F. Javier Neila González. Hourly evolution of intra-urban temperature variability across the local climate zones. The case of Madrid. Urban Climate. 2021; 39 ():100921.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F. Javier Neila González. 2021. "Hourly evolution of intra-urban temperature variability across the local climate zones. The case of Madrid." Urban Climate 39, no. : 100921.
Recent research has addressed the special relationship between energy poverty and women. Despite that not many studies are yet available, results show that there might be strong gender inequalities connected with household’s energy deprivation. Furthermore, differentiated health impacts have been detected between men and women, putting women into a more vulnerable position. In this sense, the so-called feminization of energy poverty is urging a revision of the existing studies from a gender perspective to foster its inclusion within energy poverty alleviation policies. The present study explores the links between summer energy poverty and gender in the city of Madrid. Summer energy poverty is considered another variety of energy deprivation particularly relevant within mid- and low-latitude countries, in which energy consumption for cooling is heavily increasing. It also seems to be particularly relevant in cities in which the urban heat island introduces relevant variations in the microclimatic conditions that might increase the housing-cooling demand. Following the methodology developed in previous studies, the risk of suffering from summer energy poverty is, in this paper, explored considering the household’s gender composition. The geospatial distribution of their vulnerability is compared with other indicators related to their exposure to high temperatures: the housing energy efficiency and the cooling degree hours. The evaluation at the sub-municipal scale is carried out among the different subgroups in which a woman is the main breadwinner: single women with children and single women over 65 years old. Their situation is also compared to those households in which a man is the main breadwinner. The analysis of the selected variables is conducted using a hot spot analysis, which evaluates the autocorrelation of each variable according to its spatial distribution. Results show that women living alone and above 65 years old seem to be under the highest risk. They concentrate in areas with low energy-efficient housing stock and strong urban heat island intensities. On a general basis, the income gap between women and men makes it advisable to address energy poverty with a gender perspective.
Miguel Núñez-Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; Ana Sanz-Fernández; Marta Gayoso-Heredia; J. Antonio López-Bueno; F. Javier Neila González; Cristina Linares; Julio Díaz; Gloria Gómez-Muñoz. Exposure and Vulnerability Toward Summer Energy Poverty in the City of Madrid: A Gender Perspective. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2021, 481 -495.
AMA StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez, Ana Sanz-Fernández, Marta Gayoso-Heredia, J. Antonio López-Bueno, F. Javier Neila González, Cristina Linares, Julio Díaz, Gloria Gómez-Muñoz. Exposure and Vulnerability Toward Summer Energy Poverty in the City of Madrid: A Gender Perspective. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. 2021; ():481-495.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Núñez-Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; Ana Sanz-Fernández; Marta Gayoso-Heredia; J. Antonio López-Bueno; F. Javier Neila González; Cristina Linares; Julio Díaz; Gloria Gómez-Muñoz. 2021. "Exposure and Vulnerability Toward Summer Energy Poverty in the City of Madrid: A Gender Perspective." Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions , no. : 481-495.
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and duration of hot weather and its associated adverse health effects. In dense urban areas, these phenomena will be exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and indoor overheating. This paper assesses population exposure and vulnerability to high summer temperatures by exploring the geospatial connection between the UHI, housing energy efficiency and overheating risk, and social vulnerability indicators, such as income and the elderly population. Focusing on Madrid and London, two European cities with strong UHIs but contrasting drivers of indoor heat risk, the spatial distribution of selected indicators were analysed by means of Geographical Information Systems, and areas with the highest vulnerability towards summer energy poverty were identified. It was found that while ‘hot and vulnerable’ areas are present in both Madrid and London, there are significant differences in climate, socioeconomic distribution and housing between the two cities. In warmer climates such as Madrid, energy poverty - traditionally defined by wintertime heating - requires its definition to be broadened to include summertime cooling needs; in the context of climate change and urban warming trends, this may soon also be the case in northern cities such as London.
Carmen Sanchez-Guevara; Miguel Núñez Peiró; Jonathon Taylor; Anna Mavrogianni; Javier Neila González. Assessing population vulnerability towards summer energy poverty: Case studies of Madrid and London. Energy and Buildings 2019, 190, 132 -143.
AMA StyleCarmen Sanchez-Guevara, Miguel Núñez Peiró, Jonathon Taylor, Anna Mavrogianni, Javier Neila González. Assessing population vulnerability towards summer energy poverty: Case studies of Madrid and London. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 190 ():132-143.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Sanchez-Guevara; Miguel Núñez Peiró; Jonathon Taylor; Anna Mavrogianni; Javier Neila González. 2019. "Assessing population vulnerability towards summer energy poverty: Case studies of Madrid and London." Energy and Buildings 190, no. : 132-143.
The correct contextualisation of urban measurements is one of the challenges that urban climate researchers have been dealing with for decades. The Local Climate Zones scheme (LCZs) emerges as a system for characterising these measurements from the thermal perspective. The rapid embracing of the LCZs by researchers from many disciplines, altogether with its adoption for other purposes such as planning, has led to an inexistent or, at its best, flexible use of the source area definition. This practice might call into question the contextualisation of many measurements, highlighting the imperative need to shed light on the source area methods within the urban context. In this study, a systematic review is conducted to compile previous experiences in which the source area was applied in the built environment. Results obtained from the systematic search are summarized and presented according to three scales: the inertial sublayer, the roughness sublayer, and the urban canopy layer. These previous experiences are studied according to their methodological contribution to the source area definition, emphasizing those studies that have considered this concept altogether with the LCZ scheme. This review aims at promoting the knowledge about footprint methodologies and its correct application within the LCZs.
M. Núñez Peiró; C. Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F.J. Neila González. Source area definition for local climate zones studies. A systematic review. Building and Environment 2018, 148, 258 -285.
AMA StyleM. Núñez Peiró, C. Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez, F.J. Neila González. Source area definition for local climate zones studies. A systematic review. Building and Environment. 2018; 148 ():258-285.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Núñez Peiró; C. Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; F.J. Neila González. 2018. "Source area definition for local climate zones studies. A systematic review." Building and Environment 148, no. : 258-285.
The Urban Heat Island effect shows the differences among temperatures in urban areas and the surrounding rural ones. Previous studies have demonstrated that temperature differences could be up to 8 °C during the hottest periods of summer in Madrid , and that it varies according to the urban structure. Associated to this effect, the impact of temperature increase over dwelling indoor thermal comfort seems to double cooling energy demand . In Madrid, fuel poor households already suffering from inadequate indoor temperatures can face important overheating problems and, as a consequence, relevant health problems could become more frequent and stronger. This poses an increment in mortality rates in risk groups that should be evaluated. This research is aimed at establishing the geospatial connection between the urban heat island and the most vulnerable population living in the city of Madrid. Hence, those areas most in need for an urban intervention can be detected and prioritized.
Carmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; Miguel Núñez Peiró; F. Javier Neila González. Urban Heat Island and Vulnerable Population. The Case of Madrid. Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering 2017, 3 -13.
AMA StyleCarmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez, Miguel Núñez Peiró, F. Javier Neila González. Urban Heat Island and Vulnerable Population. The Case of Madrid. Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering. 2017; ():3-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen Sánchez-Guevara Sánchez; Miguel Núñez Peiró; F. Javier Neila González. 2017. "Urban Heat Island and Vulnerable Population. The Case of Madrid." Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering , no. : 3-13.
Despite great advances on building energy evaluation, available climate data does not include the effects of the Urban Heat Island (UHI). This phenomenon, which increases the temperature in urban areas, is variable in both time and space, and implies an important lack of accuracy when simulating within an urban context. During this research the relevance of the UHI in relation to the dwellings energy performance has been confirmed, as well as the existing barriers to integrate the current UHI representations into the dynamic energy simulation process. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an update of the existing models, in order to implement it into the energy evaluation process. In this work, as a first stage of the study and based on current techniques of geolocation and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), it is established a methodology to acquire automatically an update of the UHI through isotherm maps. It is aimed to set up the starting point from which the integration of the UHI into the energy simulation process will happen.
Miguel Núñez Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara; F. Javier Neila González. Update of the Urban Heat Island of Madrid and Its Influence on the Building’s Energy Simulation. Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering 2017, 339 -350.
AMA StyleMiguel Núñez Peiró, Carmen Sánchez-Guevara, F. Javier Neila González. Update of the Urban Heat Island of Madrid and Its Influence on the Building’s Energy Simulation. Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering. 2017; ():339-350.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Núñez Peiró; Carmen Sánchez-Guevara; F. Javier Neila González. 2017. "Update of the Urban Heat Island of Madrid and Its Influence on the Building’s Energy Simulation." Sustainable Development and Renovation in Architecture, Urbanism and Engineering , no. : 339-350.