Characteristics of cooling load and energy consumption of air conditioning in residential buildings in Beijing

Studies the characteristics based on simulation and survey. The results show that the characteristics of intermittent air conditioning are quite different from those of continuous air conditioning，and the present design calculation method of hourly cooling load has a notable error in the calculation of air conditioning cooling load in residential buildings; to improve the thermal insulation performance of building envelope is not an effective method to reduce the cooling load and energy consumption of air conditioning and it may conduct a contrary effect; to raise the temperature of air conditioned room is an effective way to reduce the energy consumption of air conditioning，and the average power consumption of air conditioning is reduced by 1.4 kWh per unit building area when the temperature of air conditioned room is raised by 1 ℃; general costs of a higher energy efficiency split air conditioner in its life cycle are more than those of a lower energy efficiency air conditioner by more than 1 000 yuan according to the present price of electrical energy and air conditioners in Beijing.