Impact of Conventional Planning Considerations On Solar Architecture Modification of Microclimate Through Landscape Elements For Energy Conservation

Impact of conventional planning considerations on
solar architecture Modification of microclimate

through landscape elements for energy
conservation
INTRODUCTION
•Energy and landscape are critical constituents in the physical

development of built environment.
• Energy conservation and landscape quality have been widely
acknowledged as important parameters in design of building,
surroundings and built-up Areas.
• In design process the landscape is one of the vital parameters of
functional, aesthetical and environmental considerations.
•It is essential to understand its contribution towards energy and
environment to enable the designer to utilize its potential effectively in an
integrated design approach and thought process with due consideration
to climate change.
• It has a potentiality to dilute the greenhouse effect, absorb the dust

particulates, sound and to bring strong impact on micro climate and sol-
air temperature.
•The landscape design not only enhances the environment but also works
as an effective tool to conserve the conventional energy in several ways
•Landscaping is an important element in altering the micro-climate of a
place.
•Proper landscaping reduced direct sun from striking and heating up
building surfaces.
•It is the best way to provide a buffer for heat, sun, noise, traffic, and
airflow or for diverting airflow or exchanging heat in a solar-passive
design.
• It prevents reflected light carrying heat into a building from the ground
or other surfaces. Additionally, the shade created by trees, reduces air
temperature of the micro climate around the building through evapo-
transpiration
1. EARTH AND LANDFORM
The thermal properties of the earth are the major factor to bring
micro climatic differences in the built environment.
The earth temperature is one of the major parameters to integrate
or to set the building in a site with respect to landscape elements.
(a). Direct earth coupled.
(b). Indirect earth coupled.
(c). Semi passive earth coupled

2. VEGETATION IN LANDSCAPE
Trees & green areas around a building or town improve the physical
comfort along with the visual pleasure.
The soft landscape can contribute to healthy environment in the
following areas:
• Air-cooling
• Increase in the relative humidity
•Fresh air supply
•Air filtration
•Noise absorption
• Oxygen production
Thermal conditions of the environment with respect to cooling & air
filtering depend upon the quantity of foliage.
•The literature indicates that around 80% of the incident solar radiation
is controlled within the foliage and only 5% penetrates and reaches the
ground .
•Vegetation helps in lowering down the air temperature of surroundings
by evaporative cooling as a result of its transpiration.
• Tree leaves/foliage obstruct the passage of sunrays and through the
process of photosynthesis by consuming radiant energy, thereby providing
the desired cooling effect to the surrounding thermal environment.
• To achieve maximum efficiency the trees have to be placed/located
scientifically because shape, size and foliage of trees have direct
impact/effect on their shadows and the sun rays penetration.
• The energy efficient landscape design should permit winter penetration
at the same time giving provision for blocking summer heat penetration..
•It is evident that the trees can play an impressive parameter to design
the windows for diffused day lighting and ventilation with respect to the
shading of the windows and allowing the air to pass with regard to wind
direction respectively .
•To avoid the western and eastern solar radiation in summer in ‘hot and
humid’ and ‘hot and dry’ climatic zones, long oval shaped trees having
the spread half of the height and foliage in oval shape and having height
25’0”-35’0” are useful because the lower sun rays cast long shadow on
the pedestrians path and wall surface.
•The shaded walls areas generally admit only diffuse solar radiation and
in turn the sol-air temperature on exposed wall surface with respect to
the external heat transfer coefficient of the material can decrease the
indoor air temperature by 3 oC to 4 oC..
Western solar radiation through oval shape trees.

•Trees with less spread and height of 20’-30’ are useful in directing
breezes into particular direction
Wind corridor through trees in a built up

areas.
•Shading by vegetation is an effective method of cooling the prevalent hot
air and protecting the building from the solar radiation.
•The absorbed solar radiation by the leaves of the plant or tree is mainly
utilized for photosynthesis and for evaporative heat loses.
•Studies shows that the ambient air under the tree adjacent to the wall is
about 2- 2.5 oC cooler than the un-shaded area.
•Roof-shading concept is mainly for the purpose of reducing the
transmittance of heat from the roof medium as the roof contributes 50%
of the heat to a building .
Round shaped tree for roof shading

Terrace garden
•Trees next to the building can be designed/located with respect to the
sun path to shade the roof .
Deciduous trees covering the southern side façade.

3. POLLUTANT REMOVAL THROUGH DRY DEPOSITION
•Plants generally take up gaseous pollutants, primarily through leaf

stomata, that then react with water inside the plant to form acids and
other chemicals.
•Plants can also intercept particulate matter as wind currents blow
particulates into contact with the plants’ surfaces.
•Some particulates are absorbed into the plant while others adhere to
the surface, where they can be re-suspended into the atmosphere by
winds or washed off by rain to the soil beneath.
•These processes can reduce various pollutants found in the urban
environment, including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOX),
sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ground-level ozone as
indicated by
4. WATER IN LANDSCAPE
•.Water is an architectural element that has been used extensively in our
ancient buildings and gardens not only because of the aesthetic factors but
by realising its efficiency in regulating the micro climate.
• These properties of water can be utilised in modern buildings for energy
conservation .
•Water has the potential to improve the physical comfort by evaporative
process.
•Evaporation of water absorbs a significant amount of heat.
•A fine spray of water fountain further reduces the air temperature due to
maximum surface contact between air and water.
Water body in a Residential building

•Water bodies were used as an integral part of building complex in built up spaces of
several archeologically important cities.
• The large water feature planned all along the facade on the side of prevailing wind
direction can contribute directly to bring immediate micro climatic change in the
environment.
The water body and its properties of evaporation can be utilized to bring
immediate change in micro climatic conditions of that area.
Integrating the water body with the built environment contributes in lowering the
ambient temperature in hot & dry regions, thus providing respite from scorching
heat.
The water body, wind direction and land form are the vital design parameters and
front liner to integrate built form in the given topography for thermal and micro
climatic conditions.
The water body has greater thermal heat storage capacity when compared to any
other phase changing material; the same has been explored as heat exchanger in
cold regions for thermal comfort conditions for conserving the energy.
5.GROUND SURFACE AND PAVING
•The property of ground surfaces around the building, influences the air
temperature of surroundings.
•Hard and polished surfaces like, bare earth, asphalt, sand and concrete become
excessively hot due to the solar radiation during the day and increase the air
temperature in-and-around the structure and produce discomfort due to glare
and re-radiation.
•The reflective coefficient can be a guiding tool for specifications of the
surfacing/toping materials in hard landscape.
•The ground covering such as grass is an important surface element as it reduces
the incidence of heat and the glare.
• Grass preserves moisture in root system and reduces heat transfer.
• Very little heat is stored in vegetation due to its minimal mass but it covers the
dry surface of the earth.
•The lower day temperature and lower night temperature of planted surfaces
result in less window heat gain & a reduced air conditioning burden compared to
a situation having paved surface adjacent to the building.
6. THERMAL BEHAVIOR
•One of the important thermal properties of the hard landscape material is
thermal conductivity.
•. The thermal conductivity is a physical property of a medium and defines the
ability of a substance to conduct heat.
•For treatment of hard surfaces, it is generally considered to be constant. Thermo-
physical properties of common construction materials used for hard land
landscape .

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Impact of conventional planning considerations on

solar architecture Modification of microclimate

•Energy and landscape are critical constituents in the physical

• It has a potentiality to dilute the greenhouse effect, absorb the dust

(b). Indirect earth coupled.

(c). Semi passive earth coupled

Western solar radiation through oval shape trees.

Wind corridor through trees in a built up

Round shaped tree for roof shading

Deciduous trees covering the southern side façade.

•Plants generally take up gaseous pollutants, primarily through leaf

Water body in a Residential building

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