DESIGN GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT

THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL DEVELOP CLIMATE SIMILARITY INDEX- ING THAT WILL ALOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, TRANSPORTATION AND AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND SHELTERS. THE CLIMATE SIMILARITY INDEXING APPROACH IS BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF TMY WEATHER FILES TO GENERATE CLIMATE INDICES SHOWN TO BE RELATED FOR BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE. THUS, A REPRESENTATIVE LOCATIONCAN BE SELECTED FROM A CLIMATE GROUPING AND USED AS A BASIS FOR GENERATING ENERGY DESIGN GUIDELINES. THESE GUIDELINES CAN THEN BE "SCALED" FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE CITY TO OTHER CITIES WITHIN THE CLIMATE GROUPING SAVING SIGNIFICANT COMPUTATIONAL TIME AND COSTS. DESIGN GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE OF GREATER IMPORTANCE IN SAVING ENERGY IN BUILDINGS THAN ADVANCED (AND COMPLICATED) CALCULATION PROCEDURES. THE POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION AS DESCRIBED BY THE AWARDEE: THE CLIMATE SIMILARITY ANALYSIS AND INDEXING PROCEDURES DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT HAVE MANY POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. THE EFFICIENCIES IS DESIGN PROCESS ALLOWED BY THE USE OF THE ENERGY DESIGN GUIDELINES RESULTING FROM THE CLIMATE SIMILARITY ANALYSIS WILL ACHIEVE SIGNIFCANT ENERGY SAVINGS IN BUILDINGS AND SHELTERS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. POTENTIAL USERS INCLUDE: - MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPERS - STATE AND LOCAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES - AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGENTS - HOMEBUILDERS - ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS - LENDERS - ENERGY CONSERVATION PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS - LOCAL AND STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICIALS AFTER THE CLIMATE SIMILARITY ANALYSIS, INDEXING, AND DESIGN GUIDELINES DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN PROVEN FEASIBLE IN PHASE I AND FURTHER TESTED, REFINED AND DOCUMENTED IN THEFOLLOW-ON DEVELOPMENT, THEY WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE TRADE AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT THE ABOVE USERGROUPS.