Cooling Load Check Figures Ashrae Pdf Apr 2026

Suppose your calculation came back at 90 W/m² for a retail store (ASHRAE range 150–250). You are 50% low . Something is wrong.

Find your building type. Calculate your W/m². Compare. Adjust. Only then do you have an engineering judgement you can defend.

Let’s look at how to use the cooling load check figures to validate your model in under 10 minutes. cooling load check figures ashrae pdf

Stop using 400 ft²/ton (which equals ~85 W/m²). That ignores windows, people, and latitude.

“ASHRAE Cooling Load Check Sheet (PDF)” – A one-page checklist comparing W/m² for 12 building types. (Note: Create this as a lead magnet or internal tool.) Author Note: Always refer to the current ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals for official tables. Values cited here are for educational illustration of the methodology. Suppose your calculation came back at 90 W/m²

But does that feel right?

These tables provide (or Btu/h·ft²) ranges for total cooling loads based on building type and glazing percentage. Find your building type

We’ve all been there. You’ve spent three hours inputting walls, windows, roofs, and internal loads into your HAP, Trace, or IESVE model. The software spits out a number: 124.7 kW (35.6 tons) .

Blindly trusting the output is dangerous. Before you size a chiller or select an AHU, you need a rapid, engineering-based sanity check. While many engineers still whisper the old rule of thumb (400 sq. ft. per ton), ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals provides a much more accurate, albeit often overlooked, method for spot-checking results.