# A Methodology to Improve Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Urban Environments
## 1 Introduction  
This study's aims were to conduct an extensive analysis applied to a case study, examining it from various sustainability and efficiency aspects. To develop an effective methodology, this process was structured by following three different phases applied to a specific case study. The goal was to firstly gain a complete overview of the current situation and then hypothesize subsequent interventions. During the first phase of the process, it was essential to introduce the topic of the urban heat island phenomenon, highlighting the significant importance of mitigative interventions that could be implemented at the urban scale. These interventions were evaluated after conducting microclimatic analyses [1]. The next step involved the detailed evaluation of studies on solar potential. This evaluation aimed to design interventions that can improve the energy response of entire urban areas [2]. On the other hand, the last part involved an advanced design phase that considered the placement of photovoltaic panels on the facades of existing buildings. The three different phases required the use of various tools and software for internal implementation to achieve the desired results. Our study utilized the following software and procedures, and in the subsequent chapters, their functionality will be explained (Figure 1). The initial focus of this paper was to analyze the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon by investigating both its causes and the various potential mitigation solutions [3]. This phenomenon is specifically defined as a thermal anomaly that occurs in urbanized areas, where the temperatures inside the city are higher than those present in rural areas [4]. It represents one of the most studied phenomena related to climate change and depends on five main parameters: the scarcity of green and permeable areas; the climate and weather conditions related to geographical location; the radiative and thermal properties of urban materials; the urban geometries; and the anthropogenic heat [5; 6]. Among the most significant causes, there can be found alterations introduced by human intervention and land use. The transformation of existing soil and vegetation into impermeable surfaces, characterized by an increased density, promotes a buildup of heat caused by the reflection of incident solar radiation [7; 8]. In this scenario, one of the most important functions of green areas inside urban environments is to screen solar radiation that is neither stored nor reflected, thereby reducing air temperature through evapotranspiration [9]. This highlights the great importance of the presence of green areas and trees. During the summer period, the full extent of the UHI phenomenon is experienced, creating an uncomfortable microclimate in urban areas [10]. The pavement absorbs solar radiation, stores the energy underground, and releases it through convection and infrared radiation to the surrounding environment at night, hindering cooling [11]. There are several mitigation strategies for this phenomenon, and one of the most effective solutions, in addition to introducing greenery and water surfaces, is the replacement of existing pavements with cool pavements [12; 13] (Figure 2). These materials enable the maintenance of lower surface temperatures by absorbing and storing reduced amounts of solar radiation or enhancing water evaporation [14; 15]. A combination of reflective and evaporative pavements can potentially improve human thermal comfort conditions, since lower air temperatures aid in mitigating the UHI effect [16; 17]. Figure 1: Workflow of the different phases. With these assumptions, one of the primary purposes was to analyze the influence of the existing pavement materials on environmental and climatic conditions and their contribution to the generation of the urban heat island phenomenon.