Abstract
This chapter discusses the impacts of the different European climates on the thermal design and heating requirements of individual houses. In view of the different characteristics of maritime, continental, alpine and Mediterranean climates, it is not surprising that heating requirements differ considerably throughout Europe. The chapter illustrates the range of values by considering reference houses with different insulation levels and that are located in the different climatic regions. The data on reference heating requirements are used further in the chapters on solar system performance and economics. A comparison of the regional heating requirements gives a first impression of the distribution of heating requirements over the year, and the consequences for solar space heating systems performance are mentioned. The chapter discusses that the performance of a solar space heating system depends on the correlation between solar radiation and heating requirements. Because insulation improvement affects the length of the heating season and the distribution of heating requirements over the year, it has a bearing on the extent to which a solar system can contribute to space heating.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
