The comparison of four methods for the calculation of deep-basement heat loss is presented along with measured data for three basement types. The Mitalas method was found to give results in best agreement with measured data followed by the finite element method (FEM) program, the European Standard and the ASHRAE Fundamentals method. The studied methods, with the exception of the European Standard of which the physical background was unknown, were chosen because each of them is also representative of a particular physical model of decreasing complexity in the above order.
This paper briefly reviews the weather data available for natural ventilation and briefly reviews hourly data for simulation. It starts by reviewing the need for basic data for initial manual calculations. It then discusses the hourly weather data available for example the UK CIBSE Example Weather Years, and the European Community Test Reference Years. These are mostly selected for energy analyses rather than design, but there is still aneed for establishing general criteria for weather data for design of HVAC services and natural ventilation.