A computer system to support Albedo Calculation in urban areas

The Albedo Calculation Model (ACM) has been developed to provide the simulation of albedos within three-dimensional urban structures. The model takes into account urban configurations and a change of solar positions, as well as the effects of multiple reflections and shading in an urban canopy. In order to perform a systematic analysis for the effect of various factors on albedo of surfaces, a large scale numerical experiment has been conducted. The model description and experiment results of albedo characteristics are clarified in this paper. In addition, the development of two associated GUI (graphical user interface)-based applications, Albedo Calculator and Albedo Viewer is also introduced.