Energy Code Ace - JA2.1 Weather Data

JA2.1 Weather Data - General

All energy calculations used for compliance with the Standards must use the Commission's sixteen (16) official hourly weather files. These files are available in electronic form from the Commission in EPW (EnergyPlus), BINM, and FIN4 format.

Each weather file contains data on a variety of ambient conditions such as:

Dry bulb temperature
Humidity (Wet bulb or dewpoint temperature)
Wind speed and direction
Direct normal solar radiation
Diffuse horizontal solar radiation
Global horizontal solar radiation
Pressure
Rain fall

Note: The alternative weather files modified for local design conditions use the specific latitude, longitude and elevation of the selected city.

Table 2-1–California Standard Climate Zone Summary

Climate Zone	City	Latitude	Longitude	Elevation (ft)
1	Arcata	41.0	124.1	203
2	Santa Rosa	38.5	122.8	125
3	Oakland	37.7	122.2	6
4	San Jose-Reid	37.3	121.8	135
5	Santa Maria	34.9	120.4	253
6	Torrance	33.8	118.3	88
7	San Diego-Lindbergh	32.7	117.2	13
8	Fullerton	33.9	118.0	95
9	Burbank-Glendale	34.2	118.3	741
10	Riverside	33.9	117.4	840
11	Red Bluff	40.1	122.2	348
12	Sacramento	38.5	121.5	16
13	Fresno	36.8	119.7	335
14	Palmdale	34.6	118.0	2523
15	Palm Springs-Intl	33.8	116.5	475
16	Blue Canyon	39.2	120.7	5279

Table 2-1–California Standard Climate Zone Summary

JA2.1.1 - Counties and Cities with Climate Zone Designations

The climate zone applicable to a building project is determined based on its physical location as it relates to the determinations of climate regions found in the Commission publication California Climate Zone Descriptions, which contains detailed survey definitions of the 16 climate zones. The Energy Commission publishes an online Climate Zone Search Tool to assist in providing this determination, which is made available online at:

https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/building-energy-efficiency-standards/climate-zone-tool-maps-and

Where a ZIP code contains more than one climate region, local jurisdictions may, at their discretion, designate a single climate zone within the ZIP code as applying to the entire ZIP code.