Typical Building Loads: Earth-Contact Systems Contract, Task 1.3, October 1980-December 1981

摘要

As part of an effort to develop more accurate procedures for prediction of the thermal performance of earth-contact construction, existing hand-calculation methods have been reviewed and typical heating and cooling loads calculated for a typical earth-contact residence in six locations. Four existing methods of calculating earth contact loads are reviewed and monthly loads calculated by each method for one location with two soil types. Values are plotted for a twelve month sequence together with output from a finite difference computer program using the same input values. Two of the methods are based on the ASHRAE hourly design procedure for quantifying losses from basements and two are based on heat losses assumed to be proportional to the temperature difference across a wall at a given depth using theoretical ground temperatures. One of the latter, the Decremented Average Ground Temperature Method (DAGT), was found to have reasonably good agreement with the computer output. A preliminary earth-contact building model is developed based on the ranch style residence used for development of the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS). Following calculation of heating and cooling loads for this model, changes are suggested to make the design for each region more climate responsive. A brief climatic analysis is performed to isolate six regions which represent the range of climates found in the continental United States. Climatic parameters relevant to the study of earth contact systems performance are discussed prior to selection of the sites. Chosen sites are: Phoenix, Fresno, Miami, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Albuquerque. Typical monthly loads are calculated for the preliminary earth contact residence at each of the six analysis sites. (ERA citation 08:015209)