Wind Rose Diagrams

Wind rose diagrams help you visualize wind patterns at a site. Use them to
better inform your design decisions, but be aware of unique microclimates
and site considerations that wind rose diagrams will not capture.
In Revit you
can produce
Monthly
Wind Rose
charts to
observe how
wind
patterns
change
throughout
the year.
(But make
sure this
data is valid
for your
site. Wind
can vary a
lot by site
and the
provided
weather
data may
not be
accurate for
you)

A "wind rose" diagram is the most common way of displaying wind data, and can be measured
in a speed distribution or a frequency distribution". Wind roses can be a yearly average, or
can be made for specific seasons; some even include air temperature information.
The explanation below, from Revit Help, will explain how to read wind rose charts.
Wind Rose (Speed Distribution)
This chart shows
the frequency andspeed of wind
blowing from each direction.
As you move outward on the radial
scale, the frequency associated with
wind coming from that direction
increases. Each spoke is divided by
color into wind speed ranges. The
radial length of each spoke around the
circle is the percentage of time that the
wind blows from that direction.
In this sample Speed Distribution wind
rose (an annual wind rose from
Boston, Massachusetts), winds from
the NW and SSW directions are most
common (more than 10% of annual
hours). Of the winds from the SSW
direction, wind speeds are most often
in the 6-9 and 9-11 knot range (yellow
and light blue).

Wind Rose (Frequency Distribution)

This wind rose shows the same data as
the Speed Distribution wind rose,
except the radial scale now represents
wind speed rather than percent of
time. Also, the colored segments of
each spoke represent hours rather
than wind speed.

Wind Data
While weather data from software tools can provide a basic understanding of wind patterns, the
best way to get accurate data is to perform real measurements at the site itself.
Climate data, including wind patterns, mostly comes from airports. It is often the case that the
wind patterns measured at the airport are very different than the wind patterns of nearby sites.
However, by understanding basic concepts of air movements, you can adjust the wind data to
better suit the site location and simulate more accurate scenarios. When wind data is collected at
airports, it is typically measured at 10 m (30 ft) above ground. Consider this and your terrain
when designing with winds at a pedestrian level.
For more information on the climate data that Autodesk provides, see Green Building Studio
Help.