Urban Heat Island of Madrid and Its Influence over Urban Thermal Comfort

Abstract

This work is part of the activities MODIFICA Project: Predictive model of the energy performance of residential buildings under conditions of urban heat island (BIA2013-41732-R). This project is funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the R + D + i, 2013 program, and the authors are involved in their development, together with the research group Bioclimatic Architecture in a Sustainable Environment —ABIO (UPM). The hypothesis of the project is the fact that the transformation of land for urban growth in the city of Madrid potentiates the effect of the urban heat island (UHI), which modifies substantially in the urban microclimate. The UHI is the result of the gradual replacement of natural surface by the urban area, whose surfaces absorb more solar radiation. This, coupled with other anthropogenic factors, increase the air temperature and cause an increase in local temperature. The consequence is a modification of the urban microclimate that affects to the comfort conditions in urban space and to the energy performance of buildings and, therefore, to the quality of life of the inhabitants.