Let’s look at how to use the cooling load check figures to validate your model in under 10 minutes.
Find your building type. Calculate your W/m². Compare. Adjust. Only then do you have an engineering judgement you can defend.
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) . cooling load check figures ashrae pdf
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. Let’s look at how to use the cooling
Suppose your calculation came back at 90 W/m² for a retail store (ASHRAE range 150–250). You are 50% low . Something is wrong.
Stop using 400 ft²/ton (which equals ~85 W/m²). That ignores windows, people, and latitude. Compare
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.”