I have been struggling to do a microclimate energy simulation and thermal map analysis for the outdoor air temperatures and relative humidity for a courtyard with trees inside a home. Since I am using ladybug plugin 1.6.0, there is no component that defines the trees unless they are defined as shade. Therefore, when I plugin the thermal map component (UTCI) the temperatures are equal throughout the courtyard and does not give me any temperatures variations due to the trees existence.
I have defined the trees in the Dragonfly. Unfortunately, there is no such component to read the thermal distribution in Dragonfly. (and when I redefine the dragonfly model to honeybee model, still does not give me any temperatures variations which means it does not recognize the trees in any way.)
Could you help me to complete this study and get the trees defined as trees in honeybee so I can do the thermal map analysis correctly and also to run the energy simulation to study the impact of greenery on energy use. (FYI the study is on the impact of courtyard greenery on the microclimate of a family house in hot arid climate).
Just define the trees as shade in the Honeybee model for the microclimate map and make sure that you are using a ground zone like this sample Grasshopper file.
That way, you’ll be accounting for the shade the trees provide and the large cooling effect that shade trees typically have on the radiant environment. If you really needed to account for tree evapotranspiration, you can morph the EPW file you are using in the microclimate map using dragonfly and the UWG. But, in my experience, three trees is not enough to see a significant change in air temperature. Or, if they did, any cooling effect is easily going to get blown away by the mildest of breezes. Perhaps if you had 4 city blocks of trees, this would be enough to see a localized cooling effect on the air temperature. But you’ll be able to make a much stronger case for the trees making that courtyard comfortable by showing their impact on the radiant environment, for which the thermal maps do a very comprehensive job.
