Climate & Energy Design Data
Climate inputs architects need for envelope and HVAC design — ASHRAE/IECC climate zones, heating and cooling design temperatures, degree-days, and energy-code envelope requirements.
Climate & Energy Design Data
Every envelope and HVAC decision starts with the climate. Before an architect sets insulation levels, glazing performance, or equipment sizing, they need the climate zone the jurisdiction adopts, the outdoor design temperatures the mechanical engineer sizes to, and the prescriptive envelope targets the energy code enforces.
The pages below explain the ASHRAE 169 / IECC climate zone system, what heating and cooling design temperatures mean, and how prescriptive R-values, U-factors, and SHGC limits tighten as zones get colder. Specific values here are typical and illustrative for orientation only — the energy code edition adopted by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and the official ASHRAE design-condition tables are always authoritative for a real project.
Pages
- ASHRAE / IECC Climate Zones Explained (Zones 1–8, A/B/C)
- Heating & Cooling Design Temperatures (99%, 1% / 0.4%)
- IECC Envelope Requirements by Climate Zone (Insulation, U-factor, SHGC)
- Climate Design Data for Minneapolis, MN (Zone 6A)
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Albuquerque, NM
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Anchorage, AK
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Atlanta, GA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Austin, TX
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Boston, MA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Chicago, IL
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Dallas, TX
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Denver, CO
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Honolulu, HI
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Houston, TX
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Las Vegas, NV
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Los Angeles, CA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Miami, FL
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Minneapolis, MN
- Climate Design Data Workflow for New York, NY
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Portland, OR
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Salt Lake City, UT
- Climate Design Data Workflow for San Diego, CA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for San Francisco, CA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Seattle, WA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Washington, DC
- Climate Design Data Workflow for New Orleans, LA
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Nashville, TN
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Tucson, AZ
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Boise, ID
- ASHRAE / IECC Climate Zones Explained (Zones 1–8, A/B/C)
How the ASHRAE 169 / IECC climate zone map works — thermal zones 1 (hottest) to 8 (coldest), moist/dry/marine (A/B/C) designations, and what the zone drives in building design.
- Climate Design Data for Minneapolis, MN (Zone 6A)
Climate design data for Minneapolis, MN — ASHRAE / IECC Zone 6A, typical 99% heating and 1% cooling design temperatures, and the envelope implications of a cold, heating-dominated climate.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Albuquerque, NM
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Albuquerque, NM, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Anchorage, AK
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Anchorage, AK, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Atlanta, GA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Atlanta, GA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Austin, TX
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Austin, TX, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Boise, ID
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Boise, ID, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Boston, MA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Boston, MA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Chicago, IL
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Chicago, IL, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Dallas, TX
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Dallas, TX, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Denver, CO
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Denver, CO, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Honolulu, HI
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Honolulu, HI, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Houston, TX
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Houston, TX, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Las Vegas, NV
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Las Vegas, NV, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Los Angeles, CA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Los Angeles, CA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Miami, FL
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Miami, FL, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Minneapolis, MN
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Minneapolis, MN, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Nashville, TN
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Nashville, TN, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for New Orleans, LA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for New Orleans, LA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for New York, NY
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for New York, NY, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Portland, OR
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Portland, OR, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Salt Lake City, UT
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Salt Lake City, UT, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for San Diego, CA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for San Diego, CA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for San Francisco, CA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for San Francisco, CA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Seattle, WA
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Seattle, WA, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Tucson, AZ
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Tucson, AZ, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Climate Design Data Workflow for Washington, DC
How architects should retrieve and document authoritative climate design conditions for Washington, DC, including station, percentile, units, edition, and code checks.
- Heating & Cooling Design Temperatures (99%, 1% / 0.4%)
Understand 99% heating and 1% / 0.4% cooling design temperatures — the outdoor conditions used to size heating and cooling equipment, and why they are percentiles, not record extremes.
- IECC Envelope Requirements by Climate Zone (Insulation, U-factor, SHGC)
How IECC prescriptive envelope requirements change by climate zone — insulation R-values rise and fenestration U-factors fall as zones get colder, plus SHGC limits in hot zones.