Simplified method to predict air-conditioning loads of detached and apartment houses in Japan.

The purpose of this study was to develop a simplified method to estimate the air-conditioning loads of residential houses. A typical detached house and a typical apartment house were taken as models, and simulations of these houses with different levels of thermal insulation and glazing (single, double, or triple glazing) were carried out for 25 Japanese locations. Regression equations were then established to estimate yearly heating and cooling loads for detached and apartment houses. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Yearly heating loads of detached and apartment houses could be estimated with limited error by using a regression equation with parameters such as heat loss coefficient, heating degree-days, solar gain ratio, and solar radiation and (2) To predict yearly cooling load, the heat loss coefficient, cooling degree hours, solar gain ratio, and solar radiation in the cooling period are used as parameters, with the difference between the indoor and outdoor humidity ratio added to the heating load regression equation.