Urban Heating, Cooling to Play Major Role in Energy Demand, Climate Change

Lei Zhao, left, and graduate student Xinchang ‘Cathy’ Li. Photo courtesy Lei Zhao

Existing global energy projections underestimate the impact of climate change on urban heating and cooling systems by roughly 50% by 2099 if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, researchers report. This disparity could profoundly affect critical sustainable energy planning for the future.

Existing studies predominantly concentrate on chemical feedback loops, which are large-scale processes involving complex interactions between energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and the atmosphere. However, a research group at Illinois focuses on the often-overlooked physical interactions between urban infrastructure and the atmosphere that can contribute to local microclimates and, ultimately, global climate.

A new study led by Lei Zhao, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, emphasizes that smaller-scale city-level waste heat from residential and commercial property heating and cooling efforts can lead to big impacts on local climates and energy use. The study findings are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Zhao’s research was seed-funded by iSEE to help climate scientists model the dynamics between climate change and urbanization — and inform policymkers and planners of potential climate solutions.

Read the full news release by the U. of I. News Bureau >>>