I really hope people don't take this result at its face value - the model used and the approach is extremely simplistic, which is essentially a pseudo 2-D simplification of urban canyon geometry, a street with buildings on either sides. I worked with the referenced model as part of my master's thesis.
The bulk of urban heat island effect is driven by the radiative absorption of non-porous materials of the built-environment. Other heat waste put into the area accounts for less than something like 5% of the additional heat added when compared to rural areas.
The bulk of urban heat island effect is driven by the radiative absorption of non-porous materials of the built-environment. Other heat waste put into the area accounts for less than something like 5% of the additional heat added when compared to rural areas.