[bldg-sim] request for city locations and time zones

Chip Barnaby cbarnaby at wrightsoft.com
Thu Jan 27 08:26:13 PST 2005


Jon --
I support your effort, the proposed database promises to be extremely useful.

However, I have a suggestion for how time zone is handled.  A time zone is 
not just a time difference from GMT, it also embodies politically 
determined rules for how daylight savings is handled.  These rules are 
required in order to accurately relate local time to solar time during a 
simulation.  There are about 75 time zones currently defined, I believe.

Microsoft has a coding system to identify and describe time zones (which 
may derive from Unix or some other source).

In the 2005 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals weather update, the time zone 
is identified for all locations and the new chapter will have a table 
describing them.

Also, you might consider adding 1 (or even 2) additional station ID fields 
that could be used for national station IDs in addition to the WMO#.  US 
locations often have a so-called WBAN ID, for example.  You would probably 
want both the IDName and the ID, so a US location would say

*place,Anniston,722287,WBAN,xxxxx,33.58N,85.85W,NAE,186,99.11,-

where "NAE" is the time zone code replacing the time diff from GMT.

I also recommend that you compare notes with Didier Thevenard (the 
contractor who constructed the updated tables for the 2005 HOF).  He has 
accumulated much painful experience trying to unambiguously identify 
stations on a world-wide basis and would probably have additional 
suggestions.  Didier's Email = numlog at shaw.ca

Chip



At 04:58 AM 01-27-05, Jon Hand wrote:

>Sorry for any cross-postings.
>
>I am compiling a list of the attributes of places which is extending
>published information from ASHRAE and EnergyPlus sources.  It differs
>in that sites are grouped by state/region/provinces and there are
>additional fields for the time zone difference with GMT and whether
>there is an existing EPW climate file for the place.
>
>The reason for this how easy it is to get such information wrong. How
>many of us remember that China is one timezone but has weather
>stations from 75E to 129E so noon clock time and noon solar time
>can be seriously different? There are literally dozens of variants of
>time offsets to be found so Lat & Long is not always a reliable guide.
>
>Hopefully the contents of this list is a step to an evolving standard
>tool data repository that Dru Crawley, Michael Donn and I are
>planning (details to be published in the upcoming IBPSA conference).
>
>A sample of the file is included below just to get you oriented:
>
>#place listings
>*version,1.0
># comma separated data. Tags are
># *country, name/phrase
># *region, name/phrase
># *place,name,WMO,latN/S,longE/W,+-GMT,elev(m),Station KPa,EPW
>*country,USA
>*region,ALABAMA
>*place,Anniston,722287,33.58N,85.85W,-6,186,99.11,-
>*place,Birmingham,722280,33.57N,86.75W,-6,192,99.04,E
>*place,Dothan,722268,31.32N,85.45W,-6,122,99.87,-
>*place,Huntsville,723230,34.65N,86.77W,-6,196,98.99,E
>*place,Mobile,722230,30.68N,88.25W,-6,67,100.52,E
>*place,Montgomery,722260,32.30N,86.40W,-6,62,100.58,E
>*place,Muscle Shoals,723235,34.75N,87.62W,-6,168,99.32,-
>*place,Ozark. Fort Rucker,722269,31.28N,85.72W,-6,91,100.24,-
>*place,Tuscaloosa,722286,33.22N,87.62W,-6,52,100.70,-
>
>*region,ALASKA
>*place,Adak,704540,51.88N,176.65W,-10,4,101.28,E
>*place,Anchorage (Elemendorf),702720,61.25N,149.80W,-9,65,100.55,-
>  ....
>
>For places like Brazil and the collection of countries in and around
>Russia it is not clear to an outsider, the time zone & province of the
>place (which often is named after some airport or lighthouse).
>
>If anyone knows about provinces and timezones in the following entries
>I would welcome the information. The missing bits are marked with an x.
>
>If anyone knows of state/region/provinces then you could also insert a
>*region,xx
>where appropriate and shuffle the *place entries. If anyone wants to
>proof other countries data I would be happy to email the relevant portions
>of the file.
>
>Email any corrections/contributions/discussion to jon at esru.strath.ac.uk
>
>Many thanks,
>Jon Hand, IBPSA-Scotland
>
>-------------------------------------
>*country,BRAZIL
>*place,Arch De Femando,824000,3.85S,32.42W,-5,56,100.65,-
>*place,Belem,821930,1.38S,48.48W,-3,16,101.13,E
>*place,Brasilia,833780,15.87S,47.93W,-2,1061,89.21,E
>*place,Campinas,837210,23.00S,47.13W,x,661,93.63,-
>*place,Campo Grande,836120,20.47S,54.67W,x,556,94.82,-
>*place,Caravelas,834970,17.63S,39.25W,x,4,101.28,-
>*place,Curiliba,838400,25.52S,49.17W,x,908,90.88,-
>*place,Fortaleza,823980,3.78S,38.53W,x,25,101.03,-
>*place,Goiania,834240,16.63S,49.22W,x,747,92.67,-
>*place,Maceio,829930,9.52S,35.78W,x,115,99.95,-
>*place,Manaus (E.Gomes),821110,3.03S,60.05W,-4,2,101.30,-
>*place,Manaus (Ponta Pelada),823320,3.15S,59.98W,-4,84,100.32,-
>*place,Natal,825990,5.92S,35.25W,x,52,100.70,-
>*place,Porto Alegre,839710,30.00S,51.18W,-2,3,101.29,-
>*place,Recife,828990,8.07S,34.85W,-3,19,101.10,E
>*place,Rio De Janeiro (Galeao),837460,22.82S,43.25W,-2,6,101.25,-
>*place,Salvador,832480,12.90S,38.33W,-3,6,101.25,-
>*place,Santarem,822440,2.43S,54.72W,x,72,100.46,-
>*place,San Paulo,837800,23.62S,46.65W,-2,803,92.04,E
>*place,Vitoria,836490,20.27S,40.28W,x,4,101.28,-
>
>*country,CANARY ISLANDS
>*place,Las Palmas,600300,27.93N,15.38W,x,25,101.03,-
>*place,Santa Cruz De Tenerife,600250,28.05N,16.57W,x,72,100.46
>
>*country,FAEROE ISLANDS
>*place,Torshavn,60110,62.02N,6.77W,x,39,100.86,-
>
>*country,INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS
>*place,Diego Garcia Is1.,619670,7.30S,72.40E,x,3,101.29,-
>
>*country,KAZAKHSTAN
>*place,Almaty (Alma Ata),368700,43.23N,76.93E,x,847,91.56,-
>*place,Aqmola (Tselinograd),351880,51.13N,71.37E,x,348,97.21,-
>*place,Aqtobe (Aktyubinsk),352290,50.30N,57.23E,x,227,98.63,-
>*place,Atyrau (Guryev),357000,47.02N,51.85E,x,-15,101.51,-
>*place,Oral (Uralsk) Pavlodar,351080,51.25N,51.40E,x,36,100.89,-
>*place,Qaraghandy (Karaganda),353940,49.80N,73.13E,x,555,94.83,-
>*place,Qostanay (Kustanay),289520,53.22N,63.62E,x,156,99.46,-
>*place,Semey (Semipalatinsk),361770,50.35N,80.25E,x,196,98.99,-
>*place,Zhambyl (Dzhambul),383410,42.85N,71.38E,x,653,93.72,-
>
>*country,KENYA
>*place,Arissa,637230,0.47S,39.63E,x,147,99.57,-
>*place,Kisumu,637080,0.10S,34.75E,x,1146,88.29,-
>*place,Lodwar,636120,3.12N,35.62E,x,515,95.29,-
>*place,Nairobi,637400,1.32S,36.92E,x,1624,83.28,-
>
>*country,MADEIRA ISLANDS
>*place,Funchal,85210,32.68N,16.77W,x,55,100.67,-
>
>*country,MARSHALL lSLANDS
>*place,Kwajalein Atoll,913660,8.73N,167.73E,x12,8,101.23,E
>
>*country,MAURITANIA
>*place,Nouadhibou,614150,20.93N,17.03W,x,3,101.29,-
>*place,Nouakchotl,614420,18.10N,15.95W,x,3,101.29,-
>
>*country,MEXICO
>*place,Puerto Vallarta,766014,20.68N,105.25W,x,6,101.25,-
>
>*country,NEW CALEDONIA
>*place,Noumea,915920,22.27S,166.45E,x,72,100.46,-
>
>*country,RUSSIA
>*place,Abakan,298650,53.75N,91.40E,x,245,98.42,-
>*place,Aldan,310040,58.62N,125.37E,x,682,93.40,-
>*place,Aleksandrovsk-Sahal,320610,50.90N,142.17E,x,31,100.95,-
>*place,Anadyr,255630,64.78N,177.57E,x,62,100.58,-
>*place,Apuka,259560,60.45N,169.58E,x,8,101.23,-
>*place,Arkhangel sk,225500,64.53N,40.47E,4,13,101.17,E
>*place,Armavir,370310,44.98N,41.12E,x,160,99.42,-
>*place,Astrakhan,348800,46.27N,48.03E,x,18,101.11,-
>*place,Barnaul,298380,53.40N,83.70E,x,252,98.33,-
>*place,Blagoveshchensk,315100,50.25N,127.50E,x,137,99.69,-
>*place,Borzya,309650,50.38N,116.52E,x,684,93.37,-
>*place,Bratsk,303090,56.07N,101.83E,x,489,95.59,-
>*place,Bryansk,268980,53.33N,34.23E,x,217,98.75,-
>*place,Chelyabinsk,286420,55.30N,61.53E,5,227,98.63,-
>*place,Cherepovets,271130,59.l2N,37.93E,x,131,99.76,-
>*place,Chita,307580,52.02N,113.33E,9,685,93.36,E
>*place,Oudinka,230740,69.40N,86.17E,x,19,101.10,-
>*place,Egvekinot,253780,66.35N,179.12W,x,26,101.01,-
>*place,Groznyy,372350,43.35N,45.68E,x,162,99.39,-
>*place,Habarovsk/Novy,317350,48.52N,135.17E,x,72,100.46,-
>*place,Irkutsk,307100,52.27N,104.35E,x,513,95.31,E
>*place,Izhevsk,284110,56.82N,53.27E,x,158,99.44,-
>*place,Juzno-Kurilsk,321650,44.02N,145.87E,x,40,100.85,-
>*place,Juzno-Sahalinsk,321500,46.92N,142.73E,x,31,100.95,-
>*place,Kaliningrad,267020,54.70N,20.62E,2,27,101.00,-
>*place,Kaluga,277030,54.57N,36.37E,x,201,98.93,-
>*place,Kazan,275950,55.78N,49.18E,3,116,99.94,-
>*place,Kirov,271960,58.65N,49.62E,x,147,99.57,-
>*place,Kolpashevo,292310,58.30N,82.88E,x,76,100.42,-
>*place,Krasnodar,349290,45.03N,39.15E,x,33,100.93,-
>*place,Krasnoyarsk,295740,56.00N,92.88E,7,277,98.04,-
>*place,Kurgan,286610,55.47N,65.40E,x,79,100.38,-
>*place,Kursk,340090,51.73N,36.27E,x,210,98.83,-
>*place,Kyakhta,309250,50.37N,106.45E,x,801,92.07,-
>*place,Magadan,259130,59.58N,150.78E,x,118,99.92,-
>*place,Magnitogorsk,288380,53.35N,59.08E,x,382,96.82,-
>*place,Markovo,255510,64.68N,170.42E,3,33,100.93,-
>*place,Moscow,276120,55.75N,37.63E,3,156,99.46,-
>*place,Moscow Vnukovo,275185,55.65N,37.27E,3,203,98.91,E
>*place,Murmansk,221130,68.97N,33.05E,3,51,100.71,-
>*place,Nikolayevsk,313690,53.15N,140.70E,x,68,100.51,-
>*place,Nikolskoe/Beringa,326180,55.20N,165.98E,x,6,101.25,-
>*place,Nizhniy Novgorod,275530,56.22N,43.82E,x,82,100.34,-
>*place,Nizhniy Tagil,282400,57.88N,60.07E,x,258,98.26,-
>*place,Novokuznetsk,298460,53.73N,87.18E,x,308,97.68,-
>*place,Novosibirsk,296340,55.03N,82.9OE,6,177,99.22,-
>*place,Nyurba,246390,63.28N,118.33E,x,129,99.78,-
>*place,Olekminsk,249440,6O.4ON,120.42E,x,226,98.64,-
>*place,Omsk,286980,54.93N,73.40E,6,123,99.86,E
>*place,Orel,279060,53.00N,36.03E,x,203,98.91,-
>*place,Orenburg,351210,51.78N,55.22E,x,109,100.02,-
>*place,Ozernaja,325940,51.48N,156.48E,x,29,100.98,-
>*place,Penza,279620,53.13N,45.02E,x,174,99.25,-
>*place,Perm,282250,58.02N,56.30E,5,172,99.28,-
>*place,Petropavlovsk.Kamca,325400,52.97N,158.75E,x,24,101.04,-
>*place,Petrozavodsk,228200,61.82N,34.27E,x,112,99.99,-
>*place,Pskov,262580,57.80N,28.42E,x,42,100.82,-
>*place,Rostov-Na-Donu,347310,47.25N,39.82E,x,77,100.40,-
>*place,Rubtsovsk,360340,51.50N,81.22E,x,215,98.77,-
>*place,Ryazan,277310,54.62N,39.72E,x,170,99.30,-
>*place,Rybinsk,272250,58.00N,38.83E,x,114,99.96,-
>*place,Samara (Kuybyshev),289000,53.25N,50.45E,4,44,100.80,E
>*place,Saratov,341720,50.17N,46.03E,x,156,99.46,-
>*place,Smolensk,267810,54.75N,32.07E,x,241,98.46,-
>*place,Sochi,371710,43.45N,39.9OE,x,16,101,13,-
>*place,St Petersburg,260630,59.97N,30.30E,3,4,101.28,E
>*place,Svobodnyy,314450,51.45N,128.12E,x,197,98.98,-
>*place,Syktyvkar,238040,61.72N,50.83E,x,119,99.90,-
>*place,Tambov,279470,52.73N,41.47E,x,139,99.67,-
>*place,Tayshet,295940,55.95N,98.00E,x,302,97.75,-
>*place,Ufa,287220,54.75N,56.00E,5,105,100.07,-
>*place,Ulan Ude,308230,51.80N,1O7.43E,x,510,95.35,-
>*place,Ump Island,321860,46.20N,150.50E,x,70,100.49,-
>*place,Ustilimsk,301170,58.03N,102.73E,x,402,96.59,-
>*place,Ust.Kamcatsk,324080,56.22N,162.47E,x,27,101.00,-
>*place,Vladimir,275320,56.13N,40.38E,x,170,99.30,-
>*place,Vladivostok,319600,43.12N,131.90E,10,184,99.13,-
>*place,Volgograd,345600,48.68N,44.35E,x,145,99.60,-
>*place,Vologda,270370,59.23N,39.87E,x,131,99.76,-
>*place,Voronezh,341220,51.70N,39.17E,x,154,99.49,-
>*place,Yakutsk,249590,62.08N,129.75E,9,103,100.09,E
>*place,Yekaterinburg,284400,56.80N,60.63E,5,237,98.51,-
>*place,Yelets,279280,52.63N,38.52E,x,168,99.32,-
>*place,Zyryanka,254000,65.73N,150.90E,x,43,100.81,-
>
>
>======================================================
>You received this e-mail because you are subscribed
>to the BLDG-SIM at GARD.COM mailing list.  To unsubscribe
>from this mailing list send a blank message to
>BLDG-SIM-UNSUBSCRIBE at GARD.COM

---------------------------------------------------------
Chip Barnaby                   cbarnaby at wrightsoft.com
Vice President of Research
Wrightsoft Corp.               781-862-8719 x118 voice
394 Lowell St, Suite 12        781-861-2058 fax
Lexington, MA 02420            www.wrightsoft.com
--------------------------------------------------------- 




======================================================
You received this e-mail because you are subscribed 
to the BLDG-SIM at GARD.COM mailing list.  To unsubscribe 
from this mailing list send a blank message to 
BLDG-SIM-UNSUBSCRIBE at GARD.COM



More information about the Bldg-sim mailing list