Climate Change Is Reshaping the HVAC Design of Buildings

A 2026 study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre reveals that 48 million people worldwide live in regions with high energy requirements for thermal comfort. While this number is projected to double or even triple by 2100, changing climate conditions are also reshaping the design criteria for buildings' heating and cooling systems.

While climate change is altering the heating and cooling needs of buildings, it is also bringing to the agenda the need to reassess the criteria used in the capacity and system selection of HVAC systems.

The research published in 2026 by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) evaluates more than 2 billion buildings worldwide. According to the study, in addition to the age and architectural features of buildings, local climate conditions and the efficiency of heating and cooling systems are among the key factors affecting the amount of energy required for thermal comfort.

Form Şirketler Grubu, which operates in the HVAC sector, also draws attention to the need for changing climate conditions to be taken into account more in project design processes.

Future heat loads need to be calculated today
Tunç Korun, Chairman of the Board of Form Şirketler Grubu, states that past climate data alone will not be sufficient in HVAC projects, and that the performance systems will show under changing outdoor weather conditions must also be included in design calculations.

In Form's engineering approach, system capacity is not determined solely based on the building's floor area. Factors such as the building's orientation to the sun, the size of glass surfaces, usage intensity, heat-generating equipment inside, and operating hours are also taken into account in determining HVAC needs.

Evaluating these variables together during the project phase helps prevent the selection of systems with excessive or insufficient capacity, while also being important in terms of energy consumption, indoor comfort, and the long-term performance of systems.

Incorporating these parameters into the design process for new buildings, and reassessing needs in existing buildings in line with changing usage conditions and climate data, are among the prominent engineering approaches.

Project-based approach comes to the fore in HVAC systems
Form MHI Klima Sistemleri and Form Endüstri Ürünleri, operating under Form Şirketler Grubu, offer HVAC solutions tailored to different building types and capacity needs.

Form MHI Klima Sistemleri develops solutions for residential and commercial buildings with VRF, split, multi-split, professional air conditioning systems, and heat pumps. Especially in commercial applications, evaluating floor measurements, heat load, and usage profile together is among the important factors for correct capacity and system selection.

Form Endüstri Ürünleri, on the other hand, operates in commercial and industrial central HVAC applications. The company's solution portfolio includes chillers, heat pumps, air handling units, fan coils, heat recovery devices, cooling towers, and rooftop packaged air conditioning systems.

In projects with different usage conditions such as hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings, and production facilities, system selections are made taking into account indoor air quality, energy efficiency, the need for uninterrupted operation, and the heat loads in different sections of the building.

"Climate resilience should be addressed at the design stage"
Evaluating the impact of climate change on HVAC engineering, Tunç Korun, Chairman of the Board of Form Şirketler Grubu, stated that the conditions buildings may face in the future should be taken into account starting from the design stage.

Korun said, "As climate conditions change, the heating and cooling needs of buildings are also changing. Longer hot periods, changing cooling loads, and increasing energy needs are making it increasingly difficult to design HVAC systems based on past assumptions."

Stating that the building's location, usage pattern, heat loads, operating conditions, and new climate values need to be evaluated together in determining the correct capacity, Korun emphasized that climate resilience should be addressed at the design stage, not after system installation.

Noting that future load changes should also become part of engineering calculations, Korun stated, "With our engineering experience of more than 60 years, we place great importance on approaching HVAC systems not only according to today's comfort needs, but also with an eye toward the conditions buildings may face in the long term."

In the coming period, one of the key agendas of the HVAC sector is expected to be developing systems that can sustain both comfort and energy efficiency together under changing climate conditions.