IMPACT OF HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS ON ENERGY DEMAND

IN HYDERABAD PAKISTAN REGION

Rizwan Ahmed Memon 1, Talha Khan 2, Faizan 3
1
Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department,
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan
2,3
Student of Mechanical Engineering Department
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

Abstract: - Climate change plays an important role in affecting the heating and cooling demand and can have
major influence on thermal comfort. The cooling demand is increasing day by day due to climate change and other
reasons which results in more energy consumption. The high energy consumption causes environmental degradation
along with depletion of conventional energy resources and can burden the whole economy. Thus a sensible usage of
energy along with better management of environmental issues affiliated with energy consumption, results in cost
reduction that is beneficial for our society. A simplest way for estimating the energy demand is to look on degree day
method. The main purpose of our research is the calculation of heating and cooling degree days in Hyderabad Pakistan
Region in order to reduce energy consumption. To achieve this goal a fixed base temperature of 18.3℃ (65°F) is used to
estimate the heating and cooling degree days. Using meteorological data from 2012 to 2017 (Nov), the heating and cooling
degree days are calculated in Hyderabad Pakistan Region. Thus annual number of heating and cooling degree day for
Hyderabad region is estimated separately. Furthermore, efforts are made to assess the energy consumption for a
particular building on the basis of degree day method, to indicate the impact of heating and cooling degree days on
energy demand in Hyderabad Pakistan.

Keywords— Energy Heating Cooling Degree days Base temperature Outdoor

temperature
temperature i.e. the outside temperature below which the
1. INTRODUCTION: building needs heating.

D egree day is a unit used to measure heating and

cooling demand by utilizing outside air temperature
data. This method is an easiest way of calculating
energy requirement. This makes degree days very much useful
1.2 Cooling degree days (CDD):

Cooling degree day is used to measure the cooling demand of

for energy management as compare to other methods. A
degree day is calculated as a function of time that varies with
temperature. Basically, the degree days are defined as the
number of degrees by which the average daily temperature is
higher than 65°F (cooling degree day) or lower than 65°F
(heating degree days). Degree days are also helpful to estimate
air conditioning usage in summer season and heating usage in
winter season. The degree day method is one of the well-
known and simplest method used in the heating, ventilating
and air conditioning industries to estimate heating and cooling
energy demand.
1.1 Heating degree days (HDD):
a building. It also depends upon base temperature i.e. the
outside temperature above which building needs cooling.
Cooling degree day is basically defined as the number of
degrees by which the average daily temperature is higher than
65°F. Cooling degree days are used to quantify the cooling
requirement of buildings.
2. METHODOLOGY:
The formula for determining the Heating Degree Day (HDD)
is:
HDD = Tbase - Ta
Whereas,

Base Temperature (Tbase): - It is the balanced temperature

Heating degree day (HDD) is used to measure the heating
at which building doesn’t need heating and cooling
demand of a building which depend upon outside air
temperature. Both are directly proportional to each other. Tbase = usually 65°F
Heating degree days are indicative of the need to heat
buildings. Heating degree day is mainly defined as the number
Average Temperature (Ta): - It is the mean of maximum &
of degrees by which the average daily temperature is lower
minimum temperature of a day.
than 65°F. Heating degree day depends upon the base
 Tmax + Tmin
Ta = average outside temperature = Heating And Cooling Degree Days In
2
Hyderabad,Sindh (2012-2017)
The formula for determining the Cooling Degree Day (CDD)
is: 25
CDD = Ta - Tbase
20

Heating Degree Days

3. HEATING & COOLING DEGREE
DAYS CALCULATIONS: 15

10
Following estimated values of heating and cooling degree
days have been obtained from historical meteorological data
[2012–2017(Nov)] in Hyderabad, Sindh region. 5

0
YEAR Cooling Heating 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Degree Days Degree Days
Year
2012 17 11
2013 38 20 Heating Degree days
2014 44 12
2015 33 08 3.2 Annual Trend For Cooling Degree Days:
2016 34 05
2017 (Nov) 32 09 The Estimated values of cooling degree days as per obtained
from historical meteorological data is plotted against years and
following result is obtained:

All the collected data of heating and cooling degree days in Heating And Cooling Degree Days In
Hyderabad region is plotted and following results are Hyderabad,Sindh (2012-2017)
obtained: 50
45
Cooling Degree Days

3.1 Annual Trend For Heating Degree Days: 40

35
The Estimated values of heating degree days as per obtained 30
from historical meteorological data is plotted against years and
25
following result is obtained:
20
15
10
5
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Year
Cooling degree days

4. IMPACT:
HDD and CDD are used as a parameter to quantify heating
and cooling requirement. The more the heating degree days,
the more will be the heating demand. Similarly the increase in
cooling degree days will maximize the cooling demand. From
the graphs of past six years shown above it can be seen that
number of cooling degrees are more than the number heating
degree days which results in more cooling demands.
Furthermore, increase in cooling degree days implies that air
conditioning energy demand also increasing which increases
the electricity demand for cooling which ultimately results in
more energy consumption and increase in cost of electricity
bills due to requirement of air conditioning system for cooling
purpose.
5. CONCLUSION:
Degree day is a parameter which is used for decision making
that consider heating and cooling requirement of a building. It
provides information of energy consumption and how to
mitigate energy demand. It also provides information about
duration of energy demand. The summation of total degree
days for a month or annually is used in calculating the amount
of heating and cooling required for a particular building.
The research presented in this paper has described the
influence of heating and cooling degree days in Hyderabad
region, a detailed estimation of heating and cooling degree
days is performed based on air temperature data for a six year
period time [2012-2017(Nov)].The results indicate a fairly
significant difference for both HDD and CDD among the
Hyderabad region. As far as the energy demand and energy
consumption for cooling and heating of buildings are
concerned, HDD and CDD are effective methods to reduce
excess energy demand.
Engineers and building manufacturers should properly
consider the heating and cooling degree days for a specific
region to avoid excess energy requirement which will result
into energy efficient buildings and constructions. Ultimately
by supplying correct amount of energy heating and cooling
cost will reduce that is favorable. The author hope that this
research paper will encourage other researchers as there is no
such research has been done in Pakistan related to heating and
cooling degree days
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors are grateful to Mehran University of Engineering
& Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan, for providing necessary
help and facility to conduct this work.
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