Impact of microclimate conditions on heating and cooling energy demand of buildings in severe cold region of China

Urban microclimate directly affects building energy demand, particularly for the cooling and heating energy requirements. In this study, taking Harbin as an example, the local climate zone (LCZ) scheme, fixed-point weather station monitoring and EnergyPlus-based building energy simulation were employed to investigate the influence of LCZ type on building cooling and heating loads. Correction factors for Typical Meteorological Year (TMY)-based predictions were evaluated. The results show that urban microclimates could exert a more pronounced impact on cooling loads. Compared with the TMY-based prediction results, the annual cumulative heating load intensity (ACHLI) of a building under different LCZs was decreased by 5.0%–17.9%, the annual cumulative cooling load intensity (ACCLI) was increased by 12.3%–27.8%, and the total load was decreased by 0.1%–11.6%. The ACHLI and annual peak heating load intensity (APHLI) of the built types were generally lower than those of the land cover types, with an average reduction of 6.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Compared with TMY-based prediction, the correction factors of the ACHLI, ACCLI, APHLI and APCLI ranged from 0.82–0.97, 1.09–1.35, 0.97–1.14 and 1.02–1.16, respectively. These results have provided a theoretical framework for accurate load prediction, enhancing building energy standards and climate-responsive planning in severe cold regions.