IMPACT OF A POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ENERGY DEMAND FOR HEATING AND COOLING OF BUILDINGS

_{Prof. Brian Cody}

While research at the Institute focuses on the development of strategies to maximize energy efficiency, among other things with a view to contributing to the mitigation of global warming, the obviously unavoidable climate change raises the interesting question of how we need to design buildings today so that they could function in the outdoor climate expected in the future. This research project dealt with the question of the extent to which the predicted climate change would have an impact on the heating and cooling energy requirements of buildings in Austria. Two aspects were investigated: a possible increase in outside air temperature and a possible increase in the CO2 content of the outside air. Interesting technical consequences for the future energy supply of buildings could be shown. An interesting side result was the finding that possible changes in terms of usage requirements and indoor loads are much more important than changes due to the assumed climate change.

Duration

December 2007 - March 2008

Publications

Cody, B.: “Heizen und Kühlen im Klimawandel, Einfluss eines möglichen Klimawandels auf den Heiz- und Kühlenergiebedarf von Gebäuden“, Studien zum Klimawandel in Österreich, Heizen und Kühlen im Klimawandel – Teil 1“, Wien, Österreich: Verlag der Österreichischen Akadamie der Wissenschaften, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7001-892-1

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