This paper describes the methodology used in a quantitative comparison between the current North American and United Kingdom cooling load calculation methods. Three calculation methods have been tested as part of a joint ASHRAE/CIBSE research project: the ASHRAE heat balance method and radiant time series method and the admittance method, used in the U.K. A companion paper (Rees et al.1998) describes the results of the study. The quantitative comparison is primarily organized as a parametric study--each building zone/weather day combination compared may be thought of as a combination of various parameters, e.g., exterior wall type, roof type, glazing area, etc.

Specifically, this paper describes the overall organization of the study, the parameters and parameter levels that can be varied, and the tools developed to create input files, automate the load calculations, and extract the results. A brief description of the cooling load calculation procedure implementations is also given. The methodology presented and the tools described could also be used to make comparisons between other calculation methods. 

Units: Dual