This website uses its own and third-party cookies (including Google and LinkedIn) to ensure the proper functioning of the site, analyze user navigation, and improve the services offered. You can obtain more information about the use of cookies or configure your preferences by accessing our Cookie Policy.

More information about the use of cookies can be found in our Cookie Policy.

C4B
sign instart 7-day free trial

C4B vs CBE Clima Tool

C4B vs CBE Clima Tool

CBE Clima Tool and C4B both bring climate analysis for building design into the browser. Clima analyses weather files for more than 27,500 locations; C4B starts from any address and adds site-specific data, future climate and energy analysis.

Last checked13 October 2026

C4B and CBE Clima Tool at a glance

AspectC4BCBE Clima Tool
TypeWeb app, in the browserWeb app, open source
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 neededMap of EPW files for tens of thousands of locations, or upload your own EPW
Weather dataNearest weather station file (Climate.OneBuilding.Org, usually TMYx) plus, in projects, EPW files built from site-specific reanalysis (ERA5 / ERA5-Land, CERRA, NORA3) at the exact coordinatesEPW files from EnergyPlus and Climate.OneBuilding.Org
PrecipitationMonthly totals and rain event intensity from NOAA rain gauges near the site; in projects, site-specific reanalysis at the exact coordinates and a rainfall record from 1941Not provided
Future climateSSP1-1.9 to SSP5-8.5, any year from 2025 to 2100, in projects on paid plansNo built-in future scenarios; its documentation lists sources of future weather files you can upload
Outdoor comfortUTCI outdoor comfort, including on the Free planUTCI outdoor comfort
Passive design strategies (indoor)Passive Design Strategies for Indoor Environments, with seven strategies per bioclimatic method, in projects on paid plans; the chart with the strategy zones drawn on it in the Designer module on Technical and EnterpriseNot provided
Energy analysisPreliminary hourly energy balance; orientation and aspect-ratio optimization and window shading recommendations (five fixed devices on eight facades) in projects on paid plansNot provided
Design directionIndoor passive design strategies, outdoor comfort strategies, building orientation and aspect ratio, PV panel orientation and window shading recommendations, in projects on paid plansNot provided
Accessibility of outputGraphics and data interpretation are targeted at laypeople, and can be read by architects and building developers, in addition to more technical personnelRequires some interpretation, and is targeted at a technical audience
OutputsInteractive charts; written readings on most charts in projects and a PDF report on paid plans; EPW downloads on Technical and EnterpriseInteractive charts; SVG chart downloads; CSV data

Where CBE Clima Tool is strong

  • Free and open source, developed at the Center for the Built Environment, UC Berkeley.
  • A broad chart set for climate-adapted design: sun path, wind rose, psychrometric chart, natural ventilation potential, UTCI and degree days.
  • Accepts any EPW file you upload, so it also works with custom or future weather files you already have.
  • Charts export as SVG and data as CSV.

Where C4B takes a different approach

  • You start from any address or map point rather than choosing among weather station files.
  • Projects add a weather file compiled from reanalysis at the site's exact coordinates, corrected to its elevation, next to the nearest station.
  • Future climate scenarios under five SSPs, climate zone projections to 2100 and a preliminary energy balance are part of the same workflow.
  • Precipitation, energy data, design direction and technical modules, all targeted at practising design professionals.
  • Projects on paid plans add written readings on most charts and a PDF report.
  • Passive design strategies are read off the psychrometric chart itself, with the hours each covers; Clima's chart carries no strategy zones and its separate tab counts natural ventilation hours only.

CBE Clima Tool may suit you better if

  • You need a free tool, for example for teaching.
  • You already have the EPW file you want to analyse, including a custom or future one.
  • You want to download chart graphics or the underlying data as CSV.

C4B may suit you better if

  • The nearest weather station is far from your site, or you want to compare it with data at the site itself.
  • You need future climate, climate zone projections and a first energy balance in one place.
  • You want a report a client or the whole team can read.
  • You want to screen several indoor passive strategies at once, rather than natural ventilation on its own.

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.

Free plan; paid plans from €59/month (cancellation takes effect after 12 billing cycles) or €599/year, with a 7-day free trial. No card required. If you add a card during the trial, the plan is charged when the trial ends; otherwise your account moves to the Free plan. See all plans.

start 7-day free trialbook a 30 min demo

Frequently asked questions

Is CBE Clima Tool free?

Yes. CBE Clima Tool is a free, open-source web application from the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley. C4B has a free plan and paid plans.

Does C4B use EPW files like CBE Clima?

Yes. C4B uses the nearest station's weather file from Climate.OneBuilding.Org (usually TMYx), just like CBE Clima. For paid users with a project, C4B compiles its own site-specific EPW file from reanalysis data. You do not need to find or upload a file. On the Technical and Enterprise plans you can also create custom EPW files, with different EPW-generation methods (Sandia, TMYx, Entropy), historical periods and types of year (typical, hot, cold, seasonal extremes and extreme years).

Can I use both?

Yes. They answer overlapping questions from different starting points, and comparing a station file in Clima with C4B's site-specific data can be useful.

Sources

Information about CBE Clima Tool comes from its official website and documentation, checked on 13 October 2026. Products change, so check the official site for the latest details. CBE Clima Tool belongs to the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), UC Berkeley; C4B is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Other comparisons

All comparisons