The Impact of Distance from the Coastline on Building Energy Consumption: A Simulation Study Based on Microclimate in Qingdao

The coastal microclimate environment, driven by the interaction between land and sea, exhibits significant spatial variations that can substantially impact building energy consumption. However, systematic research on the quantitative influence of varying distances from the coastline on building energy performance remains scarce. This study examined Qingdao, a representative coastal city in northern China, to investigate the variation patterns and underlying mechanisms of building cooling energy consumption under different coastal distances. First, a quantitative analysis of typical Qingdao neighborhood configurations was conducted. Multiple representative locations (0–80 km) were selected along a gradient from near to far from the coastline while maintaining consistent neighborhood characteristics. Typical annual meteorological data were constructed for each location to characterize the spatial variation of coastal microclimate elements. Subsequently, these location-specific meteorological data were integrated with the EnergyPlus building energy simulation platform to model the cooling load of a standardized reference building. Results indicate that buildings near the coastline exhibit reduced cooling energy demand due to lower summer temperatures and the influence of sea breezes. Overall, annual cooling energy consumption exhibits a nonlinear increase with distance from the coastline, with the most significant variation occurring within 60 km of the shoreline. These findings provide quantitative support for climate-adaptive building design in coastal cities.