The Impact of Neighborhood Urban Geometry on Direct Solar Radiation in a Hot Arid Climate: A Case Study of Biskra City, Algeria.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22399/ijcesen.5255Keywords:
Urban morphology , Dense Urban Fabric, sky view factor , Regression Analyses , Direct Solar RadiationAbstract
The human activities are strongly influenced by the level of exposure of outdoor spaces to direct solar radiation, which represents one of the main factors responsible for thermal energy accumulation in urban environments. In this context, the present study aims to develop a deeper understanding of the physical relationship between urban geometry and direct solar radiation in hot arid climates. The research focuses on the Sky View Factor (SVF) as a key indicator of urban density and examines its relationship with Direct Solar Radiation (DSR), considered one of the most influential climatic parameters affecting outdoor thermal conditions.The study was conducted through a three-stage methodology. First, three residential neighborhoods characterized by different urban geometry configurations were selected. Field measurements of environmental and thermal parameters were then carried out at multiple locations during the hottest period of the year. Second, numerical simulation and validation were performed using the software ENVI-met to analyze the DSR parameter. Finally, statistical modeling and regression analysis were applied to investigate the relationship between SVF and DSR.The findings obtained from field measurements, numerical simulations, and statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between SVF and DSR. The variation in sunshine duration among the studied neighborhoods reached up to 10 daylight hours, while the difference in average accumulated direct solar radiation within outdoor spaces reached 531.26 W/m². In addition, the regression analysis demonstrated that an increase of 0.1 in SVF corresponds to an increase of approximately 956.63 W/m² in DSR.
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