The present study utilizes eQuest to understand how pervious pavement decreases the influence of urban heat islands (UHI) and reduces energy consumption in the city center of Taipei, Taiwan. The microclimate data affected by UHI was collected manually from 8/2021 to 5/2022 for a pervious site and an impervious site. Predictive equations were derived to relate the microclimate of the two sites to a local weather station (considered unaffected by UHI). The predictive equations show that the mitigation of urban microclimate by pervious pavement becomes significant when there is frequent rainfall and the ambient air temperature is high. Using the predictive equations, the present study recreates microclimate data for a whole year (from 7/2021 to 6/2022) and utilizes the microclimate data to simulate the energy consumption of residents at the pervious and impervious sites using eQuest, an energy consumption simulator approved by US Department of Energy. Building information in the vicinity and the residents’ AC operating preferences were collected by surveys and used in building models in eQuest. The energy consumption of residents at the pervious and the impervious sites are compared to provide proof of the energy-saving benefits of pervious pavements.
