Cooling load temperature dierence

calculation method
1

CLTD/CLF/SCL cooling load

calculation method

envelope, thicknesses of the building materials, day of

the year, time of day, orientation of the surface (e.g. wall
or roof, 90 degrees or 180), and wall face orientation (cardinal directions, i.e. N, NW, S, SE, etc.), to name a few.
The CLTD/CLF/SCL (cooling load temperature dif- In order to determine which set of CLTD/CLF/SCL data
ference/cooling load factor/solar cooling load factor) to look at, all the requisite variables must be dened.[1]
cooling load calculation method was rst introduced in
The respective tables of data were generally developed by
the 1979 ASHRAE Cooling and Heating Load Manual
using the more complex transfer function method to de[1]
(GRP-158) The CLTD/CLF/SCL Method is regarded
termine the various cooling loads for dierent types of
as a reasonably accurate approximation of the total heat
heating.[2][3] The results gained by doing so are then norgains through a building envelope for the purposes of sizmalized for each type of heat gain used for the tables,
ing HVAC equipment. This method was developed as a
CLTD, CLF, and SCL.[4]
simpler calculation alternative to dicult and unwieldy
calculation methods such as the transfer function method
and the Sol-air temperature method.[2] Error when using
the CLTD/CLF/SCL method tends to be less than twenty 4 Explanation of variables
percent over and less than ten percent under.[1]

The rst of the cooling load factors used in this method is

the CLTD, or the Cooling Load Temperature Dierence.
This factor is used to represent the temperature dierence
between indoor and outdoor air with the inclusion of the
heating eects of solar radiation.[1][5]

History

After its introduction in the 1979 ASHRAE handbook,

research continued on increasing the accuracy of the
CLTD/CLF method. Research completed in 1984 revealed some factors which were not accounted for in the
original publication of the method; these ndings were
a result of the ASHRAE research project 359. In 1988
ASHRAE Research Project 472 worked to correct these
oversights with the introduction of a classication system for walls, roofs, and zones. Additionally, a weighting
factor database was generated to help correct for previous inaccuracies. Additional research in Thermal radiation and appliance heat gain with respect to CLTD data
was also completed shortly after the original publication
of the method. The advancements in each of these areas inspired a revision/compilation eort, and in 1993
the CLTD/CLF/SCL method was succinctly compiled by
Spitler, McQuiston, and Lindsey.[1]

The second factor is the CLF, or the cooling load factor. This coecient accounts for the time lag between
the outdoor and indoor temperature peaks. Depending on
the properties of the building envelope, a delay is present
when observing the amount of heat being transferred inside from the outdoors. The CLF is the cooling load at a
given time compared to the heat gain from earlier in the
day.[1][5]
The SC, or shading coecient, is used widely in the evaluation of heat gain through glass and windows.[1][5]
Finally, the SCL, or solar cooling load factor, accounts
for the variables associated with solar heat load. These
include the global coordinates of the site and the size of
the structure.[1][5]

5 Equations
3

Application

The equations for the use of the data retrieved from these
The CLTD/CLF/SCL method uses predetermined set tables are very simple.
of data to expedite and simplify the process of cool- Q= heat gain, usually heat gain per unit time
ing/heating load approximation. The data is divided into
many dierent sections based on many dierent vari- A= surface area
ables. These variables include, building material of the U= Overall heat transfer coecient
1

CLTD= cooling load temperature dierence

SCL= solar cooling load factor
CLF= cooling load factor
SC= shading coecient

5.1

For heat gain through walls, doors,

roofs, and windows (only window conduction)

Q = U*A*CLTD [1][5]

5.2

For heat gains due to people, equipment (hooded and unhooded), and
lighting

Q = Q*CLF [1][5]

5.3

For solar heat gains through windows

and glazed surfaces

Q = A*SC*SCL [1][5]

5.4

Data tables

In addition to tables published by ASHRAE for select latitudes, a computer program called CLTDTAB,
available since 1993, can be used to generate custom
CLTD/CLF/SCL tables for a specic zone type for any
latitude and month. This allows the use of this method,
without interpolation, for any area in the world.[1]
If the program CLTDTAB is used, the results obtained
using this method will tend to be very close to the more
rigorous TFM Method mentioned earlier.[1]

References

[1] Spitler, J.D., F.C. McQuiston, K. Lindsey. 1993.

The CLTD/SCL/CLF Cooling Load Calculation Method,
ASHRAE Transactions. 99(1): 183192.
[2] McQuiston, F.C., and J.D. Spitler. 1992. Cooling and
heating load calculation manual. Atlanta: ASHRAE
[3] Matalas, Gintas P. 1972. Transfer Function Method of
Calculating Cooling Loads, Heat Extraction And Space
Temperature, ASHRAE Journal. Vol. 14, No. 12: 54
56.
[4] Lindsey, K. 1991. Revision of the CLTD/CLF Cooling
Load Calculation Method. M.S. thesis, Oklahoma State
University.

REFERENCES

[5] McQuiston, Faye C., Parker, Jerald D., Spitler, Jerey D.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning: Analysis and
Design, p216-278. 2005, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

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