Reference weather datasets for building simulation in Vietnam considering thermal and hygrothermal characteristics

This study presents the development and test of reference weather datasets for thermal and hygrothermal building simulations for seven representative locations in Vietnam. Sequences of selected weather datasets from the years 1984–2018 (35 years) are used to represent the weather elements in the periods 2014 to 2018 (5 years) and 2004 to 2018 (15 years). Sequences are monthly, 14-day, 5-day, and daily intervals of the specific year. Selection methods based on simulation results of a thermal building model and a set of weighted weather elements are employed to select sequences from the database. Annual datasets are then constructed from these sequences and tested through thermal simulation and the best-fit of monthly values of hourly weather elements in the target period are determined. The tested characteristics are as follows: monthly average values per hour per day of temperatures, absolute humidity ratio, relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall, solar radiation, and the atmospheric pressure, and annual and monthly simulation results of the energy demand for air conditioning and the components of the energy balance, such as transmission gains/losses, sensible and latent ventilation gains/losses, internal sensible and latent heat gains, and solar heat gains. From the analysis, the most appropriate selection process and length of weather sequences are identified to construct new reference weather datasets in tropical climate zones. Within the presented study, weather datasets for seven locations in Vietnam are constructed and published in formats applicable for thermal building simulation (EPW-format) and hygrothermal simulation studies with the simulation program WUFI (WAC-format).