Abstract
Tropical and subtropical parts of the world are projected to be the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change on building energy consumption demand. Few studies, however, focus on all four greenhouse emission scenarios defined by International Panel of Climate Change, which would be useful in assessing the energy demand challenges areas such as Florida. This study applies the most recognized climate change model downscaling approach, the morphing method, to investigate the impact of climate change on the commonly used commercial buildings in Florida’s climate zones under all four emission scenarios. It also analyzes the efficacy of various mitigation measures which could be used to adapt to the projected changes in building energy demand. These mitigation measures include thermal insulation R-value of wall systems and roofing systems, visible transmittance (VT) and solar transmittance (ST) of glazing materials. It is found that the mitigation measure VT of glazing material is the least effective in reducing the energy demands while increasing the insulation R-value of both wall and roofing systems is the most effective approach. It is suggested that combination of mitigation measures is certainly more efficient than taking only one mitigation measure. Furthermore, recommended measures are presented for each Florida climate zone, building type, and greenhouse gas emission scenario to best mitigate the impact of climate change and help achieve building energy efficiency.
Recommended Citation
Jiang, Aiyin (Erin)
(2021)
"The Impact of Climate Change on Building Energy Demands and Mitigation Measures in Florida,"
The Professional Constructor: Vol. 46:
No.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://open.clemson.edu/aic-journal/vol46/iss1/4
