Conradie, D; van Reenen, T and Bole, S (2018) Degree-day building energy reference map for South Africa. Building Research & Information, 46(2), pp. 191-16. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The six-region climatic map used in the current South African National Standards SANS 10400XA and SANS 204 does not support quantified design decisions within the built environment or indicate the amount of cooling and heating energy required per climatic region. An alternative set of maps based on interpreted degree-days is presented and can be used for regulation and design strategies. A dataset of 21 years of hourly, 0.05-degree data was used to produce a map with discrete heating and cooling degree-day classes. The resultant zones are therefore not derived from only the dominant climatic characteristics, but from simultaneous annual heating and cooling demands. The advantage is that the new map enables adaptive building design for climates with significant diurnal or annual temperature swings, making it useful for regulators and designers. A good correlation exists between the developed degree-day indices and building energy. The majority of South Africa was found to fall within the medium heating/medium cooling zone as expected; however, the KwaZulu-Natal coastal region is within the medium cooling zone and not the expected high cooling zone. This may be due to the humidity levels that are not accounted for.;The six-region climatic map used in the current South African National Standards SANS 10400XA and SANS 204 does not support quantified design decisions within the built environment or indicate the amount of cooling and heating energy required per climatic region. An alternative set of maps based on interpreted degree-days is presented and can be used for regulation and design strategies. A dataset of 21 years of hourly, 0.05-degree data was used to produce a map with discrete heating and cooling degree-day classes. The resultant zones are therefore not derived from only the dominant climatic characteristics, but from simultaneous annual heating and cooling demands. The advantage is that the new map enables adaptive building design for climates with significant diurnal or annual temperature swings, making it useful for regulators and designers. A good correlation exists between the developed degree-day indices and building energy. The majority of South Africa was found to fall within the medium heating/medium cooling zone as expected; however, the KwaZulu-Natal coastal region is within the medium cooling zone and not the expected high cooling zone. This may be due to the humidity levels that are not accounted for.;
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climatic map; building performance; Köppen-Geiger map; South Africa; bioclimatic design; standard effective temperature; degree-days; passive design; climate change; Regulators; Climate; Cooling; Buildings; Building design; Design; Maps; Energy; Coastal areas; Heating; Design standards; Coastal zones; Design of buildings |
| Index terms: | design strategy, standard effective temperature, regulation, maps, design standard, coastal zone, coastal areas, dataset, built environment, South Africa, bioclimatic design, climatic map, humidity, climate change, building performance, building design, passive design, design decision, regulator, design of building, designer |
| Subjects: | design methods, profession, quality assurance, climate science, infrastructure and transport systems, physical geography and landforms, technical documentation, sustainability and energy, spatial and geospatial analysis, political science, design practice, data management, architectural design, environmental engineering, sociology, building design, Geography |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Governance, Urban Studies, Stakeholder Management, Quality Management, Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Design Practice, Research Practice, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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