Classification of climate zone using degree-day method: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia

Understanding the local climate specification is vital for designing and operating low-carbon buildings. This is particularly important in countries with a fast, hot and arid climate, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where the meteorological data may be available only in specific locations. However, there is a lack of literature on the impact of the local climate on the behaviour of buildings with little local classification or zoning. The literature assessment of the building performance in the Saudi environment is based mainly on a general climate zone based on the hot, cold, and moderate classifications. In this paper, the authors used the degree-day method to address the gap in Saudi Arabia’s hot and arid climate classification, currently adopted by the Saudi building codes and specifications. The cooling degree days (CDD) and heating degree days (HDD) for 21 cities in Saudi Arabia were calculated using recent meteorological data from Saudi weather stations over five years (2017-2021) that included cities from all 13 Saudi regions. In this study, the authors used DegreeDays.net software to compute the CDD and HDD for these cities, using an integrated approach. Multiple base temperatures were used to calculate the cooling and heating degree days, and then the results were categorised accordingly. Saudi Arabia’s climate classification using this approach has produced a climatic zoning map more specific and accurate than previous hot and arid-based classifications. This will improve building design and thermal comfort for particular parts of the Kingdom. In addition, the proposed category will support energy and building research that can be applied to all Saudi buildings. In particular, the researchers provide valuable insights into sustainable building design and construction in KSA, with implications for policy and practice.