Chapter 4 Climatic Data for Building Thermal Design
90
CHAPTER 4
CLIMATIC DATA FOR
BUILDING THERMAL DESIGN
eather data are one of the foundation stones of our (building
services) industry since it is the building and its services which protect
us from its extremes and create an appropriate internal environment.
Without accurate weather data, we could neither design efficient or
effective services nor predict energy use.” — (CIBS, 1984, Forward by P.
G. T. Owens)
limatic conditions have a major effect on building loads, HVAC
equipment performance and building energy consumption. The
amount of energy use in a building is a direct result of the climate,
the building
use and the building
form. This chapter studies building
climatic design and outdoor design conditions so as to investigate the climatic
conditions of Hong Kong. Basic design weather data for HVAC applications
in Hong Kong are established and the Hong Kong climate is analysed using
statistical and graphical methods.
4.1 Building Climatic Design
The practices of climatic design for buildings is explained and the
considerations for the quality of weather data are described.
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4.1.1 Practices of climatic design
The external character of a geographical location is prescribed by its
climate. A basic rule for building energy efficiency is to gain the maximum
benefit from the climatic conditions since the HVAC system is working to
maintain the desired indoor environmental conditions under the influence of
the external weather (Watson and Labs, 1983).
Understanding climate
A building can be considered as a
limatic modifier’ which shields
the indoor environment from the external climate. The conditions of weather
that shape and define local climates are called elements of climate (Givoni,
1976, Chp. 1), which may include weather parameters such as temperature,
humidity, air movement and solar radiation. Weather data form the basis of
HVAC design and provide information for studying the climatic