Urban microclimate directly affects building energy demand, particularly for the cooling and heating energy requirements. In this study, taking Harbin as an example, the local climate zone (LCZ) scheme, fixed-point weather station monitoring and EnergyPlus-based building energy simulation were employed to investigate the influence of LCZ type on building cooling and heating loads. Correction factors for Typical Meteorological Year (TMY)-based predictions were evaluated. The results show that urban microclimates could exert a more pronounced impact on cooling loads. Compared with the TMY-based prediction results, the annual cumulative heating load intensity (ACHLI) of a building under different LCZs was decreased by 5.0%–17.9%, the annual cumulative cooling load intensity (ACCLI) was increased by 12.3%–27.8%, and the total load was decreased by 0.1%–11.6%. The ACHLI and annual peak heating load intensity (APHLI) of the built types were generally lower than those of the land cover types, with an average reduction of 6.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Compared with TMY-based prediction, the correction factors of the ACHLI, ACCLI, APHLI and APCLI ranged from 0.82–0.97, 1.09–1.35, 0.97–1.14 and 1.02–1.16, respectively. These results have provided a theoretical framework for accurate load prediction, enhancing building energy standards and climate-responsive planning in severe cold regions.
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