Chabada et al. (2026) Evapotranspiration in Urban Environments: Optimization of Heat Flow through Vegetation Structures

Identification

• Journal: Lecture notes in civil engineering
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Marek Chabada, Pavol Ďurica
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-14011-1_31

Research Groups

• Department of Civil Engineering and Urban Planning, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina, Žilina, Slovakia

Short Summary

This study investigates the optimization of heat flow through urban vegetation structures by analyzing evapotranspiration (ET) on an experimental vegetated roof, demonstrating its significant role in urban cooling and energy reduction. It combines theoretical calculations with experimental measurements to quantify ET's impact on solar energy absorption and building cooling loads.

Objective

• To theoretically calculate and experimentally measure evapotranspiration (ET) from a vegetated roof in an urban environment to quantify its efficiency in absorbing solar energy and reducing heat transfer into buildings.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: An experimental vegetated roof in Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia. The findings are extrapolated to large roof areas of industrial buildings.
• Temporal Scale: Daily evapotranspiration determination; analysis of ET efficiency during sunny days and its long-term effect in summer.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: FAO Penman-Monteith (FAO PM) method for theoretical calculation of evapotranspiration.
• Data sources:
  • Meteorological data from a weather station.
  • Measured evapotranspiration values from an experimental vegetated roof.

Main Results

• Approximately 50% of the incoming solar energy is absorbed by the evapotranspiration process on sunny days.
• Efficient evapotranspiration can significantly reduce cooling energy requirements in summer, particularly for large roof areas of industrial buildings, leading to cost savings and improved indoor climate.
• The long-term effectiveness of ET for cooling necessitates a sufficient water supply, underscoring the importance of integrating irrigation systems in preliminary design stages.

Contributions

• Provides a theoretical-experimental analysis quantifying the heat flow optimization through vegetated structures via evapotranspiration in an urban context.
• Demonstrates the significant potential of efficient evapotranspiration to reduce cooling energy consumption and associated costs in buildings, especially for large roof areas.
• Emphasizes the critical need for designing adequate irrigation systems during the initial stages of vegetated roof implementation to ensure long-term cooling benefits.

Funding

• VEGA grant project No. 1/0404/24

Citation

@article{Chabada2026Evapotranspiration,
  author = {Chabada, Marek and Ďurica, Pavol},
  title = {Evapotranspiration in Urban Environments: Optimization of Heat Flow through Vegetation Structures},
  journal = {Lecture notes in civil engineering},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-032-14011-1_31},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-14011-1_31}
}