Comparison of three climatic zoning methodologies for building energy efficiency applications

Angélica Walsh, Daniel Cóstola, Lucila C. Labaki1

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Climatic zoning for building energy efficiency applications is a key element in many programs and policies to improve thermal performance of buildings. In spite of its importance, there is no consensus about the appropriate methodology for climatic zoning. Previous studies indicate a large variety of methods and parameters are currently used for climatic zoning: degree-days, cluster analysis and administrative divisions are some of the most widely used. This study reports and reviews results obtained with these three methodologies for Nicaragua, a small country in Latin America. Results indicate a high level of agreement between the different methodologies, but they also disagree on the appropriate classification of a significant proportion of the country (37% of Nicaragua’s territory). The three methodologies have strengths and weaknesses, and at present it is impossible to conclude which one is the most appropriate to support building energy efficiency programs and policies. Results of this paper highlight the need for procedures and performance indicators to assess the validity of climatic zoning (which shall be addressed by future studies).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-121
Number of pages11
JournalEnergy and Buildings
Volume146
Early online date21 Apr 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2017

Keywords

  • climatic zoning
  • building energy efficiency
  • cluster analysis
  • degree-days method

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