A simplified method for calculating heat losses to the ground according to the EN ISO 13370 standard

Heat losses from buildings through contact with the ground, especially in the case of large buildings, have a strong influence on energy demand. Various methods for calculating these heat losses are available, including one method that is defined by the EN ISO 13370 standard. Due to the complexity of this method, we have developed a method that is presented in this paper. Using our method we have calculated weight factors for buildings with and without basements with a variety of thermal transmittances for the contact between the building and the ground. Also, the number of influential parameters used in EN ISO 13370 is reduced. Our simplified method is particularly appropriate for use in the process of designing the thermal insulation for buildings and determining the specific heat losses from buildings.