Weather data analysis

Presenting graphical representations of the weather data for project locations has become a staple of energy-efficiency practice, both by architects and engineers. Practitioners seem to vie for ever more colorful and dramatic renderings of this data. Unfortunately, too often, these presentations merely render numerical data without providing useful information that can lead directly to conclusions concerning the directions that design efforts should take. The climate data analysis does not answer the question: So what? This column will explore some ways by which the initial climate data analysis, exclusive of any particular data about the building design, can provide useful information for the development of both the architectural and mechanical systems of the building. © 2019 Amer. Soc. Heating, Ref. Air-Conditoning Eng. Inc.. All rights reserved.