Implementation of software for calculating the thermal balance of air conditioning systems in steady state

Abstract

Burkina Faso, like many developing tropical countries, is facing a growing demand for air conditioning due to rising temperatures linked to climate change, rapid urbanization, and improved living conditions. However, most actors in the building sector still rely on empirical methods for sizing air conditioning systems, which are often unsuitable for the local context and lead to significant errors. This thesis aims to design and validate a simple and accessible software tool for calculating the thermal balance of residential buildings, based on the IEPF method, to provide a scientific solution adapted to Burkina Faso’s climatic zones. Three cities representative of the country’s climatic zones were selected: Dori for the Sahelian zone, Ouagadougou for the Sudano-Sahelian zone, and Bobo for the Sudanian zone. The software was tested on a typical building located in Ouagadougou, under steady-state conditions at peak thermal loads (April month), with precisely defined climatic, material, occupancy, and orientation parameters. The results show excellent agreement between manual calculations performed according to the IEPF method and those provided by the application, with a relative error below 0.2%, confirming the software’s reliability. The tool stands out for its ease of use, user-friendly interface, and the precision of the detailed outputs (sensible and latent loads, required electrical power). However, its validity is limited to simple cases under steady-state conditions and strongly depends on the quality of input data. This work highlights the urgency of replacing empirical practices with validated and contextualized digital tools, to optimize air conditioning system design in tropical climates.