To supersede the requirement of Sentence 8.4.4.1.(4) and permit a different set-point temperature in the reference and proposed buildings, where the set-point temperature is lower than 18°C, and the heating system to be installed in the proposed building is not capable of providing an appreciably higher set-point temperature than that shown in the specifications.
To limit the probability that the reference building’s thermal characteristics will be based on the prescriptive semi-heated requirements that are derived based on heating degree-days at 15°C of the building’s location, which could lead to overestimation of the energy used by the reference building, which could lead to excessive use of energy, which could lead to an unacceptable effect on the environment.