Design Strategies by Climate Zone

Summary

Each climate region has one dominant design problem: latent load, solar gain and dryness, two-season loading, condensation and frost, or slow drying. Start from that problem to rank strategies, then use the region notes for detail.

Cols

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Selection

Region Dominant problem Primary strategies
Hot-humid Latent load and indoor humidity Dehumidification separate from sensible cooling; right-sized equipment; low air and duct leakage; ducts inside conditioned space
Hot-dry Solar gain and large daily swings Shading; thermal mass; night and cross ventilation; evaporative cooling where wet-bulb depression is large
Mixed-humid and mixed-dry Both heating and cooling seasons Balance insulation, glazing, and shading across seasons; manage winter condensation and summer humidity
Cold, very cold, subarctic Heating load, condensation, frozen ground Continuous exterior insulation with a drying path; matched cavity and continuous R-values; passive solar gain with thermal mass; permafrost-aware foundations
Marine Slow drying in cool rainy months Plan wetting and drying first; then set insulation levels

Detailing

Sources

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