Cooling Effects and Energy-Saving Potential of Urban Vegetation in a Cold Climate City: Insights from Regression and Coupled Simulation Models

Abstract

Urban vegetation plays a critical role in reducing outdoor temperatures, mitigating the UHI, and positively impacting energy consumption, even in cold-climate cities. This study developed a coupled energy simulation model and regression model to evaluate the influence of vegetation on cooling effects and energy-saving potential. Moreover, it compared and analyzed the differences and correlations between the two models. The findings indicate that vegetation in the S&N building orientation exhibited the greatest energy-saving potential, with a maximum temperature drop of 1.27°C. Conversely, the temperature drop effect was least effective in the E&W orientation. The energy reduction ratio (ERR) ranged from 1.39% to 14.56% in the S&N orientation when utilizing the coupled model, while it ranged from 0.55% to 6.08% when utilizing the regression calculation model. Although there are discrepancies in the ERR between the two calculation methods, the correlation between them was above 0.85, indicating the regression model can be used to estimate BEC. This study enhances awareness of the cooling potential of vegetation in cold-climate zones, providing valuable insights for policymakers and urban planning designers. These findings aid in the development of strategies to optimize the environment, reduce air temperatures, and promote the establishment of low-carbon cities.

Keywords: Urban vegetation, Building energy consumption, Coupled energy model, Regression model, Energy-saving rate