Turning Up the Heat with Funding Success to Measure Thermal Comfort Indices
The NSSN has secured funding through SmartSat CRC’s NSW Node, in conjunction with the NSW Government and project partners the University of Sydney and Sydney Water, to deliver an innovative project on Modelling Thermal Comfort Indices for Urban Areas.
The 12-month project will aim to demonstrate that outdoor human thermal comfort can be calculated in real-time across several Sydney locations using environmental sensors. The project will strive to deliver one of the first data sets of radiant heat in Sydney.
Sydney is a fast-growing city and as its population increases, so does the need for suitable housing, particularly in its western suburbs. Certain areas of Sydney suffer from an urban island heat effect, that is caused primarily by heat being trapped in buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
The urban island heat effect is exacerbated by a lack of green space and shading, it can also potentially exacerbate health conditions for the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. It also leads to significant discomfort for local residents in their daily lives.
By modelling thermal comfort indices in Sydney, and working to provide accurate real-time data sets, this project could potentially have two major positive outcomes.
• It could help to identify areas of Sydney where the urban heat island effect is most pronounced and help plan for increased water utilisation.
• Local councils could use the data to inform urban planning in affected areas, employing green spaces, better building insulation, natural ventilation and using reflective materials when possible.
The project will involve expertise from a variety of disciplines, including and not limited to, physics, machine learning, data science, architecture, social studies, space and engineering. Sydney Water will play a significant role in the project, using its expertise to understand how water could be effectively resourced across a growing city.
The project will take place over three stages:
1. Gathering data on mean radiant temperature to find significant patterns in Sydney
2. Developing an algorithm to potentially model thermal comfort indices across Sydney
3. Investigating the utilisation of satellite technology to calculate thermal comfort indices over large urban areas in Sydney.
There is a significant need to collect data on thermal comfort indices in different areas of Sydney so that key decision makers and residents are equipped with essential information that can help create a more livable and sustainable urban environment.
Co-Director of the NSSN, Professor Benjamin Eggleton, whose group at the University of Sydney’s School of Physics is leading the research, highlighted the need for innovation through sensing to help plan for a safer Sydney.
“The NSSN is delighted to deliver a multi-disciplinary project that is using innovative solutions through environmental sensing to better understand the urban heat island effect in Sydney.
By working closely with Sydney Water, we are trying to do something that has never been done before in this city. There is a palpable need for granular real-time data on thermal comfort indices as Sydney grows.
Through the data collected, we will hopefully be arming ourselves with the knowledge that can help us create a safer and healthier Sydney for its residents.”
Media: Jonathan Drennan | NSSN | 0468 765 816 | jonathan.drennan@nssn.org.au