Contribuições da arborização para o conforto ambiental e a eficiência energética urbana

Abstract

Nowadays grow awareness of the importance of the sustainability of cities. Nevertheless, there is still little progress in the search for alternatives that promote energy efficiency in urban scale, with prominent, nationally, Reluz Program, which deals with the replacement of public lighting and traffic light systems. The increase in temperature of the built environment and the growing presence of urban heat islands, draw attention to the need for strategies to minimize the damage caused by urbanization and increase thermal comfort in a more sustainable manner, thereby reducing the need for equipment artificial cooling and electricity consumption. This study aims to identify how urban trees can assist energy efficiency of cities and the contribution of major studies on the topic. The methodology adopted for this study was based on a literature review. The study pointed out several benefits of afforestation in reducing impacts resulting from intense urbanization, mainly through climate moderation and energy conservation. In the cases presented differences of up to 11,7°C and between 10 and 12 hours temperatures colder air in wooded areas compared with more densified areas and up to 20°C temperature difference of the surface were observed. Changes in wind speed, with a reduction of up to 46% were also observed in addition to an increase in the amount and consistency of humidity. These data confirm the potential of afforestation as a tool for more sustainable urban planning and call attention to the importance of their knowledge on the part of planners to better the potential use of the species.