I present to you a building thermal load calculator. This calculator allows you to calculate cooling and heating needs, both in summer and winter, based on the building’s geometry, exterior and interior temperature conditions, and the quality of insulation. For example, you can calculate how heat losses are distributed in your building or the influence of the thermostat setpoint and operating hours on your cooling and heating costs.
It is also useful to be able to calculate the effect of making modifications to the building’s thermal envelope. Sometimes manufacturers offer us “miracle” savings if we apply their solutions (for example, changing windows or applying a lining) and include messages in their advertising like “save 30% on your bill” or “save up to €300 per month”. Obviously, these “ballpark” figures, without even looking at your installation, only serve to attract public attention. It’s unlikely you’ll save 30% on your bill by changing windows (unless you have the worst windows on the planet) or save €300 per month on heating if your current consumption is €200. But now you don’t have to believe the manufacturer (or me), you can do your own calculations and verify it yourself.
The application, although simple to use, requires entering a good number of data, some of a technical nature. It’s not difficult, but it requires some time and care when entering the data. In return, it provides a considerably accurate calculation of the building’s losses. If you need a higher degree of precision, including thermal bridges, corner factors, daily and seasonal temperature variations, etc., specialized computer software and technical personnel are necessary. (if you need one, I can recommend one, wink wink
The final result of the consumption calculation is provided in kWh, so you can use our heating cost calculator to convert this value into euros, based on the energy source used in your cooling and heating system.
The new cooling and heating needs calculator is available at this link, where the necessary instructions for its operation are also provided.
