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C4B vs Climate Consultant

C4B vs Climate Consultant

Climate Consultant is a free desktop program from UCLA's Energy Design Tools Group that plots a weather file's hours on a psychrometric chart with passive design strategies. C4B brings the same kind of climate reading to the browser, starting from an address instead of a weather file.

Last checked18 September 2026

C4B and Climate Consultant at a glance

AspectC4BClimate Consultant
TypeWeb app, in the browserDesktop application (Windows, macOS)
PriceFree plan; paid plans from €59/month (cancellation takes effect after 12 billing cycles) or €599/year, with a 7-day free trialFree
Choosing the locationSearch an address or click the map; no weather file neededLoad an EPW weather file
Weather dataNearest weather station file (Climate.OneBuilding.Org, usually TMYx) plus, in projects, site-specific reanalysis (ERA5 / ERA5-Land, CERRA, NORA3) at the exact coordinates8760-hour EPW files, such as those published by the US Department of Energy
Future climateSSP1-1.9 to SSP5-8.5, any year from 2025 to 2100, in projects on paid plansNot stated on the pages we reviewed
Outdoor comfortUTCI outdoor comfort, including on the Free planPsychrometric chart with comfort zone and design strategies
Energy analysisPreliminary hourly energy balance; orientation and aspect-ratio optimization in projects on paid plansNot stated on the pages we reviewed
OutputsInteractive charts; written readings on most charts in projects and a PDF report on paid plans; EPW downloads on Technical and EnterpriseOn-screen charts and a list of design guidelines for the location

Where Climate Consultant is strong

  • Free and simple to use, aimed at architects, builders, homeowners and students.
  • Its psychrometric chart shows the share of hours in 16 design strategy zones and generates design guidelines for the location.
  • Dozens of graphic displays, including the psychrometric chart and the wind wheel.
  • Runs as a desktop program on your own computer.

Where C4B takes a different approach

  • Runs in any modern browser, on any operating system, with nothing to install.
  • No EPW file to find: start from an address or map point.
  • Adds UTCI outdoor comfort, Köppen-Geiger climate zones to 2100, future climate scenarios and a preliminary energy balance.
  • Paid plans add site-specific reanalysis data and a PDF report.

Climate Consultant may suit you better if

  • You need a free tool for teaching the basics of climate-responsive design.
  • You prefer a desktop application and already have the EPW file.

C4B may suit you better if

  • You are on a recent Mac: the download page states that Climate Consultant will not run on macOS Ventura.
  • You want to start from an address rather than a weather file.
  • You need outdoor comfort, future climate or energy analysis alongside the climate charts.

See your site's climate before design begins

Pin any location and get climate, comfort and preliminary energy insight your whole team can read. Start with a 7-day free trial, or book a 30-minute demo.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Climate Consultant still available?

Yes. It is distributed free by the Society of Building Science Educators. The latest Windows build listed on its download page is 6.0 Build 17, dated October 2021, and the page notes it will not run on macOS Ventura.

Does C4B have a psychrometric chart with design strategies?

Yes. C4B plots every hour of the site's year on a psychrometric chart, and projects on paid plans add passive design strategy zones with the share of hours each covers.

Does Climate Consultant run on a Mac?

Its download page lists a macOS build (6.0 Build 13, January 2020) but states that Climate Consultant will not run on macOS Ventura. C4B runs in the browser on any Mac or PC.

Is C4B free like Climate Consultant?

C4B has a free plan for climate and energy analyses on weather-station data. Projects, site-specific data, future climate and reports need a paid plan, with a 7-day free trial.

Sources

Information about Climate Consultant comes from its official website and documentation, checked on 18 September 2026. Products change, so check the official site for the latest details. Climate Consultant belongs to the UCLA Energy Design Tools Group; C4B is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

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