A critical analysis of future weather data for building and energy modeling

Abstract

The inappropriate processing and utilization of future weather data in building and energy modeling are more common and serious than people think. This paper provides a comprehensive review of various aspects of future weather data for building and energy modeling, including the emissions scenarios, climate models, downscaling methods, different types of future weather data, and uncertainties in future weather data. The application of future weather data in four scenarios (i.e., energy analysis, resilience analysis, HVAC design, and utility-scale analysis) is also introduced. For each application scenario, the applicability and appropriateness of different future weather data are critically analyzed.