PRESENT

BESCAM: Integration of Building Energy Simulation and Urban Canopy Modelling for Assessment of District Energy Demand

  • 2018-2021

  • Funding Agency: NRF, GovTech

  • Principal Investigator: Prof. Wong Nyuk Hien

  • Collaborators: Asst. Adrian Chong, Dr. Cao Kai (NUS/Geography),

  • Research Staffs: Dr. Marcel Ignatius, Dr. Zhang Wen, Shisheng Chen, and Miguel Martin

  • Summary: The attention on UHI and microclimate issues has helped to advance the development of urban cooling strategies in Singapore. However, these urban cooling strategies are often implemented at different levels with different mechanisms, and studies on the environmental implications of these strategies are often segregated. Therefore, in order to mitigate the UHI in Singapore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding on how the urban canopy works. Canopy modelling plays a vital role in estimating weather conditions within an urban area, such as ambient temperature. It is thus become imperative to develop an integrated model for accurate prediction of weather conditions at different scales. The integration of urban planning and design tools with urban microclimate assessment tools is a complex endeavour but one with a promising future. This integration will integrate urban climatic assessment as part of the urban design process. The main objective of this study is to develop a platform to perform building energy simulations coupled with an Urban Canopy Model (UCM) based on Virtual Singapore building models, as input.

Development of a Multiscale Urban Microclimate Model for NUS Campus Thermal Environment

  • 2018-2021

  • Fundy Agency: NUS

  • Principal Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Lee Poh Seng (NUS/Mechanical Engineering)

  • Co-Principal Investigators: Prof. Wong Nyuk Hien (NUS/Building), Prof. Lawrence Wong (NUS/IDMI), Assoc. Prof. Feng Chen-Chieh (NUS/Geography), Asst. Prof. Yuan Chao (NUS/Architecture), Dr. Li Xiangxiang (CREATE/SMART)

  • Collaborators: Prof. Harindra Joseph S. Fernando (Notre Dame)

  • Research Staffs: Dr. Marcel Ignatius, Dr. Yu Zhongqi, Dr. He Yueer, Dr. Jiyu Deng, Dr. Daniel Hii Jun Chung, Miguel Martin, Chen Shisheng, and Prof. Liong Shie-Yui (TMSI)

  • Summary: This pilot study is devoted to the development of an urban micro-climate model for the local Singapore environment, and to use the NUS Kent Ridge campus as a test-bed environment for model calibration and validation. Ambient temperature, wind speed, and thermal comfort at urban canopy layer on campus will be predicted using the developed urban micro climate model factoring the impacts of various environmental factors.

    The project has the following objectives:

    • Develop an multi-scale micro-climate model for simulating the UHI effect (meso scale phenomenon) and local hot spots (micro scale) on the neighborhood scale;

    • Integration of the urban micro-climate model to the 3-dimensional model of the NUS campus, i.e. Virtual NUS, for enhanced simulation and visualization; and

    • Use the NUS Kent Ridge Campus to validate the developed model

Study on Acceptable Reflectance Level of Building Façade Materials in Singapore

  • 2016-2019

  • Funding Agency: Buildings and Construction Authority (BCA)

  • Principal Investigators: Prof. Wong Nyuk Hien

  • Collaborators: Asst. Prof. Steve Kardinal Jusuf, Assoc. Prof. Masayuki Ichinose

  • Research Staffs: Dr. Marcel Ignatius, Wen Jianxiu

  • Summary: Using highly reflective materials such as glass or mental claddings becomes more and more popular for high-rise buildings in Singapore. However, highly reflective materials used for building façade will produce discomfort glare that may affect the thermal and visual environment of surrounding developments. In recent years, the number of feedbacks on discomfort glare associated with highly reflective facades have been increased. Hence, it is crucial to understand the impact of reflective glare and the potential mitigation methods for discomfort glare. Aiming to improve the visual performance of building façade in Singapore, three main objectives are outlined for this research, as follows:

    • to evaluate the acceptable daylight reflectance of building façade to achieve visual comfort in the surrounding environment in Singapore;

    • to identify critical factors that cause glare problem and potential UHI problem by parametric 3D modelling; and

    • to develop methodology and guidelines for building designers to evaluate and improve the visual performance of building façade.