Efficiency of urban greening systems with maximized latent heat effect in urban heat island and climate change mitigation

Abstract

Street, wall, and rooftop greening systems are essential for urban heat reduction and carbon neutrality. In this study, we compared the temperature-reducing effect of current and developed technologies that maximize the latent heat of evaporation through such greening systems. A research site with the maximum urban heat island effect was selected by analyzing the vulnerability of Suwon City, Korea. The latent heat of evaporation for each method was determined by conducting actual measurements and verified by performing computational fluid dynamics simulations. Based on the results of statistical techniques, the validated model was highly reliable. When developed technologies were applied, the temperature of the entire city was reduced by approximately 2 °C. Compared with the existing street greening system, the developed technology achieved a temperature reduction effect even at a distance of 5 m. Current wall greening systems only have a temperature reduction effect at 1 m, but that of the developed technology was approximately 1 °C even at a distance of 2 m. The existing rooftop greening system had a temperature reduction effect only at the height of 1.2 m, whereas that of the developed technology was effective even at 6 m, contributing to a reduction in the temperature of the entire city.