Effect of urban morphology on microclimate and building cluster energy consumption in cold regions of China

Building energy consumption (BEC) is influenced by the combination of urban morphology and microclimate. This study investigated the influence of urban neighborhood morphology on microclimate and building energy consumption through sixty representative street blocks in cold regions of China. The following conclusions were drawn from the multiple regression analysis, and random forest (RF) in this research: 1) The impact of urban morphology on microclimate and vice versa on energy use intensity (EUI) varies according to the season. 2) Annual temperature (TEMP.), solar radiation (SR), building site cover (BSC), average building height (BH), road area ratio (RAR), and block orientation (BO) were significantly positively correlated with EUI, and the floor area ratio (FAR) was negatively correlated. 3) The FAR is positively correlated with BEC and has a significant negative correlation with relative humidity (RH) which contribution rates are 82.3 % and 7.3 %, respectively. Based on the analysis, the research proposed feasible recommendations to optimize the layout of blocks. The results of this study can be used to predict the energy consumption of new and existing street blocks in cold-climate cities quickly and accurately. Additionally, it provides quantitative strategies for energy-saving and emission reduction in urban planning.