Quantifying urban microclimate feedback on building energy use using a coupled simulation workflow

• Developed a two-way coupling between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus simulations • Used EMS overrides to integrate surface temperature feedback into EnergyPlus • Captured dynamic feedback between microclimate and building energy performance • Coupled model improved cooling demand accuracy over EPW and UWG approaches Urban building energy simulations often overlook the dynamic feedback between buildings and their surrounding microclimate, leading to inaccuracies in energy demand predictions, particularly under changing climate conditions. This study presents a novel two-way coupling framework between ENVI-met and EnergyPlus (via Honeybee) to explicitly model the bidirectional interactions between urban microclimate and building thermal performance. The method employs an iterative surface-temperature feedback mechanism through automated EnergyPlus EMS schedule overrides, enabling time-resolved adjustment of boundary conditions across simulation engines. Applied to a real-world case study in Liverpool, UK, the coupled model demonstrated strong agreement with measured cooling energy data, achieving a Coefficient of Determination (R²) of 0.9. Compared to conventional static (epw-based) and one-way coupling approaches, the two-way framework more accurately captured surface temperature dynamics, diurnal cooling load patterns, and peak demand behavior. These results highlight the importance of integrating dynamic microclimate feedback into urban energy simulations to enhance predictive accuracy and inform climate-resilient building and urban design.