Assessing the impact of future climate on building energy performance with downscaled weather data in Korea

Climate change significantly affects building energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort in South Korea, highlighting the need for improved energy efficiency and climate resilience.

This study integrates the IPCC SRES A2 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios with general circulation models and a morphing-based tool to generate hourly climate data for Seoul. Energy simulations using the DOE reference building show an increase in cooling demand and a decrease in heating demand by the 2080s. Improved insulation and efficient cooling systems, as passive and active measures, help mitigate cooling energy demand. Fanger’s Predicted Mean Vote (PMV)-based analysis indicates enhanced indoor thermal comfort after these retrofits.

The findings highlight the need for adaptive design and resilient policies.