Cooling Load Check Figures Ashrae Pdf Review

The 400 sq ft/ton Rule is Dead: How to Use ASHRAE Fundamentals to Sanity Check Your Cooling Loads

But does that feel right?

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

Let’s say you modeled a 2,000 m² (21,500 ft²) mid-rise office building (perimeter zones). Your software says total cooling load = 280 kW .

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) . The 400 sq ft/ton Rule is Dead: How

“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.

Open your ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals. In the current edition (2021/2025), Chapter 18 (Nonresidential Cooling and Heating Load) contains the gold mine: Table 9 & 10 , typically titled “Cooling Load Check Figures for Typical Commercial Buildings.” Something is wrong

Also, They are ±20% accurate at best. They are a filter , not a scale .

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