A Database for Climatic Conditions around Europe for Promoting GSHP Solutions

Abstract

Abstract:Weather plays an important role for energy uses in buildings. For this reason, it is required to define the proper boundary conditions in terms of the different parameters affecting energy and comfort in buildings. They are also the basis for determining the ground temperature in different locations, as well as for determining the potential for using geothermal energy. This paper presents a database for climates in Europe that has been used in a freeware tool developed as part of the H2020 research project named "Cheap-GSHPs". The standard Köppen-Geiger climate classification has been matched with the weather data provided by the ENERGYPLUS and METEONORM software database. The Test Reference Years of more than 300 locations have been considered. These locations have been labelled according to the degree-days for heating and cooling, as well as by the Köppen-Geiger scale. A comprehensive data set of weather conditions in Europe has been created and used as input for a GSHP sizing software, helping the user in selecting the weather conditions closest to the location of interest. The proposed method is based on lapse rates and has been tested at two locations in Switzerland and Ireland. It has been demonstrated as quite valid for the project purposes, considering the spatial distribution and density of available data and the lower computing load, in particular for locations where altitude is the main factor controlling on the temperature variations.

New tools to support the designing of efficient and reliable ground source heat exchangers: the Cheap-GSHPs databases and maps

“…The databases and maps presented in this paper compose and support the new, publicly available Decision Support System developed by the Cheap-GSHPs project (De Carli et al, 2019). All the tools can also be used directly by the experts, as standalone resources.…”

“…The estimation is based on the nearest known temperature, the elevation difference between the two points and a specified temperature gradient calculated every month by identifying pairs of low-elevation, highelevation stations close to the interested point and computing vertical temperature gradients. The method and the proposed database are properly described in De Carli et al (2018).…”

“…Finally, the thematic maps representing Figure 2. The DSS Website -Facility description page (from De Carli et al, 2018).…”

“…iii. a pan-European Climatic Database, that is based on different test reference years as well as on the classification based on the Köppen-Geiger scale (described in De Carli et al, 2018); iv. a standard temporal profiles database of the heating and cooling requirements for several standardized typologies of buildings, by taking into account three different levels of thermal insulation in building (Badens et al, 2016).…”

A European Database of Building Energy Profiles to Support the Design of Ground Source Heat Pumps

“…Different climatic zones, according to the Köppen-Geiger Classification, have also been considered, selecting 23 European locations. More details on the analysis on climates carried out in the present project can be found in [28]. Respect to iNSPiRe, the four building typologies have been modelled in detail and evaluated by means of dynamic hourly simulations in the defined locations.…”