A comparative study of design guide calculations and measured heat loss through the ground

This study forms part of an in-depth investigation of the critical issue of earth-contact heat transfer to and from buildings. The overall research project involved in situ measurements, extensive simulation work and design guide calculations of heat loss through the ground from different real buildings. The results obtained from the application, where possible, of established calculation procedures are presented here in comparison with data obtained directly from full-scale experimental studies. It is shown that in some cases, when applicable, the methods used here agree relatively well with each other. However, different design methods can lead to very different estimations of earth-related heat losses.