The analysis of thermal comfort using ENVI-met simulations: a case study of four courtyards on a heat-wave day

The urban thermal environment has attracted increasing attention, especially under the background of frequent extreme heat events like heatwaves. They not only cause a decline in thermal comfort, but also contribute to further energy shortages, posing a threat to the sustainable development of the planet. Valencia, a Mediterranean coastal city which is severely affected by heat waves was selected as the study area. According to the Local climate zone (LCZ) classification results, four typical courtyards of different LCZ types were chosen for simulation in ENVI-met. The diurnal air temperature (Ta), Mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) and Predicted mean vote (PMV) and their relationships with Sky view factor (SVF) were explored to assess the thermal comfort level during a heat-wave day. In addition, a comparative analysis of four LCZ categories was conducted. The high-rise courtyard has worse thermal comfort at night, especially in compact high-rise (LCZ 1).