Overview
- Prepare a written report documenting your analysis and answers to Parts 1, 2, and 3.
- Upload all work as a single .zip to the BLACKBOARD course website
Objective
The objective of this assignment is to become familiar with climate analysis as a tool for bioclimatic design (the utilization of environmental services provided by natural systems for human comfort).
Assignment Description
Each student will choose a climate and perform a climate analysis and prepare a written report. In the report, students will identify and document the critical aspects of climate that should be considered for design and propose effective strategies based on analysis and case study research.
For your analysis, choose a climate representing the location where one of your grandparents grew up. You may need to choose the climate data file from the most similar location available in the database. Or, you can use this tool to generate a custom EPW file based on map location.
https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/tools.html#TMY
PART 1. Climate Data Visualization
Go to the SBSE website and download Climate Consultant (if you have not done so already). https://www.sbse.org/resources/climate-consultant
Open Climate Consultant (You can choose either SI or IP units)
- Choose Create New Project
- On the “Select Weather Data” page click on “Download New EPW Weather Data File”
- Click the blue “Install from Weather Data Site”
- Search for your desired location (e.g. Africa / Morocco / Casablanca Nouasser 601560)
- Follow the instructions in Climate Consultant to past in the EPW file link (e.g. Right-Click on the “epw” link then paste link)
Then, on the “COMFORT MODEL” page, select “Adaptive Comfort Model in ASHRAE Standard 55-2004. On the “CRITERIA: (Metric Units)” page, enter 80 in the % Acceptability limits field. Create images of the following 8 charts (choose File / print… to see print options) and include these in your written report.
A. Temperature range (you may choose to display the units in Degrees F if you choose.
B. Ground temperature, monthly average
C. Dry bulb x dew point
D. Sky cover range
E. Timetable plot of drybulb (DB) temperature
F. Timetable plot of Global horizontal radiation (use the dropdown menu to select)
G. Psychrometric chart (make sure to check “display design strategies” and select “Plus ASHRAE Standard 55)
H. Wind rose
PART 2. Climate Analysis
Based on your analysis of climate data, answer the following questions about your climate zone and include your answers in your written report.
- What months (if any), do outdoor temperatures exceed the adaptive thermal comfort zone?
- What months (if any), do outdoor temperatures fall below the adaptive thermal comfort zone?
- What months, if any, is the mean monthly outdoor temperature within the adaptive thermal comfort zone?
- What months (if any) should solar radiation (sunshine) be used as a source of heating?
- During what months of the year (if any) would “night-purge ventilation” be applicable? (Hint: night-purge ventilation requires that the nighttime temperature be within (or ideally below) the adaptive thermal comfort zone.
- During what months is the ground temperature applicable for use as a source of passive cooling? (e.g. moving heat from the building into the ground using a means of thermal transport).
- During what months is the ground temperature applicable for use as a source of passive heating? (e.g. moving heat from the ground into the building using a means of thermal transport).
- What months, if any, does the dew point exceed a temperature of 65°F? This is a very important consideration in the design and operation of radiant cooling systems to avoid condensation on the radiant panels or structural elements. (The radiant system’s cold water supply temperature must be set higher than the dewpoint temperature of the space air). The supply temperature of cold water typically lies in the ranges between 58°F and 68°F but for this question assume it is 65°F.
- What months (if any) should solar radiation (sunshine) be blocked by shading devices to control solar overheating?
- How many hours of daylight does your climate location receive on June 21? How many hours on December 21? How about March 21?
- During what months is the sky the least overcast? During what months is it the most overcast? What months (if any) would “night sky radiative cooling” be appropriate in this climate?
- What direction is the wind coming from in the afternoon during the warmest month of the year? What is the outdoor air temperature at this time? Could outdoor air be used for space cooling? (Use the Wind Rose Chart to answer this question).
- What direction is the wind coming from during the coolest month of the year? Are the air temperature and wind velocity at levels where sheltering the building (or building elements such as the entry) from the wind is appropriate? (Use the Wind Rose Chart to answer this question).
- What other climatic factors are appropriate to consider that have not been accounted for in your assessment (e.g. seasonal rainfall) ?
PART 3. Passive Environmental Design Strategy Selection
Using the Psychrometric Chart, select “Show Best set of Design Strategies” at the bottom left. What are the 5 most effective passive strategies listed in the “Design Strategies” table displayed on the Psychrometric Chart? List the percentage of the year (% Comfort Hours) provided by each.
Strategy 1: _____________________ Comfort hours _____%
Strategy 2: _____________________ Comfort hours _____%
Strategy 3: _____________________ Comfort hours _____%
Strategy 4: _____________________ Comfort hours _____%
Strategy 5: _____________________ Comfort hours _____%
*Note, in some extreme climates, there may be fewer than 5 strategies listed that are able to provide comfort hours. If so, list only those that are displayed.
Based on the information gained from analysis of the climate data for your location, conduct research using online sources, the library, environmental design textbooks, and exemplary design firms to identify appropriate environmentally responsive design strategies for your climate.
Identify at least 5 passive design strategies appropriate for your climate
- For each strategy, document a case study example of a real project including the architect (if known) the project location, type and other relevant information.
- For example, if your climate analysis suggests that Natural Ventilation Cooling is a promising strategy, identify a project that uses this strategy and document how it performs using appropriate images, diagrams and text.
- As a starting point, refer to the passive environmental design strategies identified on the psychrometric chart from Climate Consultant.
- Identify strategies that have significant impact and explain in your own words and with sketches / diagrams how each strategy works.
- You can get some ideas from viewing the DESIGN GUIDELINES chart in Climate Consultant.