TRY - Further development of the test reference years in Germany

Test Reference Years (TRY) are a high-resolution temporal and spatial climate dataset that reflects the average meteorological weather pattern of a year in Germany. This climate dataset represents the expected character of the respective climate period at the respective location and, with its diurnal and seasonal variations, simulates the typical synoptic pattern.

The TRY are continuously being further developed. The dataset encompasses both the current and future climate in Germany. For the current climate, a period from 2006 to 2024 has been defined. Using an advanced method, individual segments are selected to represent the TRY. The latest version focuses on improved representation of local climatic effects (e.g., the UHI effect) and greater spatial and temporal continuity. In addition to a grid-based approach, there will also be a variant based on natural climate regions.

The further development of the TRY data is being carried out as part of a project at the German Meteorological Service (DWD) on behalf of the BBSR (Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development) and is intended to build upon the existing developments of the dataset. The aim is to further develop existing methods and integrate new data sources and concepts into the final product.

The Test Reference Years serve as a basis for thermal building simulation and for the design calculations of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. They are also used to estimate the energy consumption for building climate control. TRY data is an important component for both the planning of new buildings and the renovation of existing ones.