A Scenario-Based Electro-Physical Assessment of Urban Surface Heat Transfer and Electrical Cooling Demand in Smart Urban Environments

Abstract : Urban overheating is an electro-physical problem because surface heat accumulation changes outdoor temperature conditions and increases the electrical energy required for cooling. This study develops a scenario-based electro-physical assessment model for analysing the relationship between urban surface heat transfer, surface material properties, green infrastructure and electrical cooling demand. The model links physical parameters such as albedo, emissivity, thermal mass, vegetation coverage and urban–rural temperature difference with engineering indicators such as cooling energy demand, energy-efficiency improvement and CO₂ emissions related to electricity use. The case-study application uses Sofia Municipality as a spatial reference environment. Real spatial and land-use indicators are combined with scenario-based calculations in order to compare a baseline urban condition with an optimized scenario. The results are interpreted as early-stage engineering estimates rather than direct measurements of Urban Heat Island reduction or electricity consumption. The contribution of the paper is an integrated framework that connects heat-transfer processes with electrical energy performance in smart urban environments.