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EnergyandBuildings28 (1998) 185-189

Analytic calculation of degree-days for the regulated heating season

V. Martinaitis *
The Department ofHeating and VentilationNilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio al. II, 2054 Vilnius, Lithuania

Received29 December1997;accepted February 1998 23

Abstract This paper describes a method for the degree-days calculation by means of the proposed cumulative air temperature duration function for the heatingseason additionallysettingthe temperature by whichdetermines limits of the heatingseason this function.The results the in of calculations received undertheLithuanian climate conditions havebeen compared thefactualdata.Theresults degree-days month with of per calculations receivedwithout settingthe limit temperatures the function have beencompared into with the calculationmethods other of researchers. method The provedto be acceptable usefulsolvingenergyconsumption and problems relationto of thebuildinglife cycle. in 0 1998ElsevierScience All rightsreserved. S.A.
Keywords:

Heating season; Energy consumption; Lithuanian climate conditions

1. Introduction

Climatic conditions in a particular location and interaction of the buildings technical system determine the amount of energy necessary to ensure comfortable indoor heating conditions over the building life cycle, excluding behavior peculiarities by occupants. This micro-climate maintenance

Here, it includes the external calculated temperature for heating as well as the limit temperature of a heating season (the heating season beginning and end).

2. The cumulative duration of the air temperature and WAC

system (MMS) consists of a passive micro-climate maintenance sub-system (PMMS) and an active micro-climate maintenance sub-system (AMMS). To create PMMS for construction and finishing elements of the building, a certain amount of energy is required, however, energy demand for these sub-system for the remaining building life cycle is insignificant. In terms of the building life cycle duration, AMMS is characterized by permanent energy consumption. Engineering practice is aiming at the most efficient combination of PMMS and AMMS under available climate conditions. On the other hand, the building life cycle exceeds those of other products created in society and for this reason the economic criteria of the optimum solution in this spheremust

Temperature fluctuation on the level of buildings depends on the thermal balance of solar radiation on the Earth surface. So far, analytical calculation to define this temperature is not available. In some countries for thermal and agronomic purposes on the level of buildings and plants this temperature variability is presented asthe result duration of the daily mean temperature in the course of the year based on multi-year
observations. The climatic variability period is a calendar

include energy and ecological approach. This work has been performed in the context of these problems aiming at formal measures to define fluctuation of external air temperature in a location together with the values of temperatures necessary
for engineering practice establishedin regulations of coun-

year. In 1966, the Lithuanian meteorological stations started measuring air temperature 8 times instead of 4 times every 24-h period [ 11. The systematized climate data of Western European countries are presented below [ 21 and it includes temperatures usually measured every 3 h, whereas the daily mean temperature is the arithmetical mean of maximum and
minimal values of these measurements.The temperature which characterizes the annual period as the parameter of

climate condition is presented in several ways in the calculations of energy requirementsof micro-climate maintenance systems (MMS). This may represent the calendar daily

tries or determined when analyzing the building life cycle.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +370 2 767875; +370 2 618620; fax: e-mail: ekserguha@uj.pfi.lt 0378-7788/98/$19.00 0 1998 Elsevier Science All rights S.A. reserved. PZISO378-7788(98)00015-2

sequence of the daily mean temperatures in the course of the year. This data together with other climate parameters are

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V. Martinaitis/ Energy and Buildings 28 (1998) 185-189

necessary simulatingthe MMS performancemodels.Curfor rently, the monthly averagetemperatures(and other temperaturesas a rule including solar radiation) is usually usedin MMS calculations. The results throughout a desiredperiod usually are produced summingup the monthly results. The permanentvariability of temperature(distributionfrequency from the statistical point of view) is describedby the distribution density function cp(T) and the cumulative distribution frequency function Q(T) . In the first approximation, thesefunctions are closeto the main characteristicsof normal distribution of probability [ 31. Due to increasingrange of possibletemperaturesthe standarddeviation of such distribution will increase if the considered duration increases (from a day to a month, half ayear or a year). The distribution density of temperature and the cumulative distribution frequency of temperaturein a certain location are describedby the duration (for example, by days-Z) insteadof the relative value-probability. In this event, thesefunctions will be correspondingly marked asz(T) and Z(T) . They are presented as the distribution of discrete quantities per data period selectedfor certain duration (month, year, etc.). This data period usually doesnot exceed 30 years. In heat engineering, dependenceZ(T) is traditionally describedso that the conventional distribution of mathematical values on coordinate axes is not followed strictly-the picture is turned clockwise by 90. This dependence illusis trated on Fig. 1. In addition to this, Fig. 1 illustrates the characteristicpoints andzonesof the MMS performance.The cumulative line of duration of air temperature T crosses the line of the basetemperature Tb dividing the year into cold and warm periods. The area between the line of the base temperatureand the cumulative line of duration of temperature shows energy requirements (heat requirement for the cold period and cold requirement for the warm period). The inside temperature of premiseshas permissibleoperational deviations that are outlined on Fig. 1 by the closestto base temperature horizontal lines. The accumulative features of buildings barriers (massiveness)allow to start heating (or cooling) the premisesat temperaturesT,,---the beginningof operation systemswhich quite differ from the basetemperature. The area of the triangles illustrates savings of operational energy requirementsdue to the accumulative features of barriers. The amount of energy which is to be suppliedto MMS during the cold period of a year is reduced due to internal heat gains (people, domestic appliances,and solar radiation). Another limiting external air temperatureis the limit temperature ensuring the parameters.If the limit temperatures ensuring the parametersare exceeded for a long period of time, MMS cannot ensurethe maintenanceof standardparameters premises. national standards countriesspecof The of ify the so called calculated external air temperature T,, that definesheat andenergy parameters the selectionof MMS: for the systemcapacity, barriers inertia and thermal resistance of walls. In civil engineeringrelated to heating of buildings, the system capacity is establishedaccording to T,,> T,i,,

heat

gains

protection

and accumulation

of barks

and clothes

m m Fig. 1. The characteristic maintenance system.

coding coding

by ventilation by freezing

points and zones of operation

of micro-climate

firstly due to the accumulative featuresof buildings barriers, solar radiation, and heat gains whereasheating of buildings startsprovided external air temperatureT< I;, andis finished if the sign of inequality is reversed.Here, T,,,i, is the minimal daily mean temperature establishedbasedon observations carried out for many years. For aparticular location or region, the limit points of operationof systems well asthreetypical as areas(separately for the heating period and for the cooling period) arethe specificcombination i.e., the result of climatic conditions data, civil engineering practice, traditions, and economic development level. These three temperatures ( T,,c~5s Tb) andfactual annualfunction Z( T) for a certain and location representregulated heating season. These temperatures, the massiveness barriers, and comfort are interdeof pendent,andfor this reasontheseparameters mustbeselected so that their combination would produce the highest efficiency. While selecting theseparameters,the characteristics of available buildings, the tendenciesof new constructions, hygiene conditions, energy consumptionand environmental aspectshould be taken into consideration. Theseparameters are reflected in civil engineering and hygiene-sanitary standardsas well asin equipmentconcerning standards, whereas scientific grounds explaining selection of these parameters have their specific features in each country. Below several exampleson this problem are provided. In Switzerland, three variants are being used to define the heating season:Tbl T,, = 18110;20112, and22/14C, whereasthe heatingseason starts if the daily mean temperature is equal to T,, [ 41. In France, Tb/Tss l8/ lYC, whereasthe beginning and finish= ing of the heating season specifiedascertain calendardays: is from October 15 to May 15 [ 5 I. In Germany, TJ T,, = 20/ 15C [5]; in the United Kingdom, 18.5/15,5C [6]; in the USA [ 71, T,, is called as balancetemperatureand it is specified that this temperature is close to 10C. In the former USSR and for the time being in Lithuania, Tb/Tss 18/8; 181 = lOC, here Ts:,,--the mean temperature of three days (day = 24-h period). The area limited by the cumulative curve of temperatures duration and the inside temperature of premises(including basetemperaturein this event) is proportionate to heatrequirements and is called degree-days.This paper presentsthe

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analytic expressions for the year duration functions proposed by the author [8], which are more suitable for building life cycle analysis than the month duration functions which are more widely applied in design calculations.

more expedient to consider the summarized temperature duration graph per year by separating in it a heating season with limits specific to it. Degree-days are found by integrating the function Z(T) over an interval from Tminto Tb provided that only base temperature is limited by degree-days: DLTb=N l+tanh(a(T-T,,,)) 2 I =nl,n dT (3)

3. The proposed analytic expression distribution function

of the temperature

This paper presents the expressions of the temperature distribution density function z(T) and the cumulative distribution frequency function Z(T) which is formally obtained from me previous function and which related to the heat equipment of a building. Its interpretation as well as some symbols are connected with the analytical calculation of degree-days under the different base temperature expressions proposed in works of Thorn [9], Erbs et al. [ 10,111, Bourges [2,3], Schoenau and Kehring [ 121, and Hitchin [6,13]. Equally with the form of an expression, the essential difference is that these functions are for the analysis of annual energy requirements which are necessary for the calculation of degree-days under different base temperatures and the limiting temperatures of a heating season. In addition to this, these expressions may be developed up to the expressions suitable for the energy analysis of energy consuming systems [ 13,141. The proposed temperature distribution density function expressed in days: z(T)=N a cosh(a(T,,,-T))

The analytic expression of such an integral is: DLTh = gin l+exp(2a(T,-T,)) l+exp(2a(T,,,-T,)) (4)

If the limit temperature of a heating season T,, is introduced provided that it is understood as the daily mean temperature, integration should be performed in portions and the base temperature and the limit temperature of a heating season limited by degree-days will be equal to: l+tanh(a(T-T,,,)) 2 J dT

DL T,Ts, =N

T rrll

+ l+tanh(a(T,,-T,)) 2 or the already integrated expression: DL Td Tss Eln l+exp(2a(T,,-T,,,)) 1+exp(WT,i,-T,)>

CT,--Tss)(5) I

where a = c/S,: c-constant that is characteristic for a specified region, the value of which is usually 1; $--standard deviation of daily mean temperature; N-duration of the period considered, 365 days for a year. The integral of this function with an appropriate integration constant in terms of mathematical statistics is the temperature cumulative distribution frequency function: Z(T)=N If tanh(a( T-T,,,)) 2 (2)

NT,-Tsd
+ l+exp(2a(T,,,-T,,)) . The previously considered methods for the calculation of degree-days do not stipulate the use of two limit temperatures (T,, and T,,) . The equations obtained have been used for the calculation of degree-days for different temperature variabilities and limits in accordance with the temperature distribution specified in Ref. [ 1] for Vilnius and Klaipeda for the period from 1966

In terms of the life cycle of the MMS building, it would be

-32 -26 -20 -14 -6

-2

10

16

22 T,Y

-14

-IO

-6

-2

IO

T,'C

Fig. 2. The factual year and month temperature distribution same functions calculated in accordance with the proposed

density function expression.

z(T)

and the cumulative

distribution

frequency

function

Z(T)

for Vilnius

and the

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V. Martinaitis

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28 (1998)

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10

11

12

Fig. 3. The results of calculation different methods.

of degree-days

for the month periods

by

DD

j8Tb=WC

facts

according to the method proposed by this paper applying this method to the month period. This comparison does not reflect the limiting temperature of a heating season (balance temperature) since other authors do not use it. While calculating, MM degree-days have been established by using only mean monthly temperature. It should be stressed that the authors calculations practically coincide with Schoenau-Kehrig and Hitchin calculations. This expression also is suitable for the analytic definition of balance temperature if the problems of heat transfer of barriers of a building, accumulative features, and energy inputs to premises are simultaneously settled in terms of life cycle of the building. The comparison of degree-days calculated according to the equations obtained and the factual values of degree-days under different combinations of limit temperatures T,, of a heating season and base temperatures Tb is illustrated on Fig. 4 for Vilnius and on Fig. 5 for Klaipeda. The factual values of degree-days have been obtained by using the data taken from climatological observation tables.

scca
4ooo

5ooo ,ITbdsC
/8Tb=l4C ---Imb=14C facti Yanh 3ooo-----------

facts

4ooc-

---

--------~~Tb=_~~Yanh

3axl m loo0 O18 12 10 0 KS ._. ----

Fig. 4. Degree-days

for Vilnius:

factual and calculated

by Eq. (6).

to 1972. The conformity of the selected temperature distribution density function z(T) and the cumulative distribution frequency function Z(T) to factual mean year data is illustrated by Fig. 2. On Fig. 2, they are marked COSH and TANH correspondingly ( see Eqs. ( 1) and (2) ) . Fig. 3 illustrates calculations made according to the methods proposed by the above mentioned authors as well as

10

12

10

8 KS

Fig. 5. Degree-days

for Klaipeda:

factual and calculated

by Fq. (6).

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4. Conclusion The examples presented as well as other testing calculations show that the selected temperature distribution functions are quite close to factual ones. The degree-days calculated on the basis of such functions while analyzing the modes of operation of micro-climate conditioning systems and simulating energy requirements for them are very close to real climate conditions. This function is very convenient for the analysis of the temperature of switching on and duration of different systems. Such calculations require minimal information about the climate development of alocation. In addition to this, it allows to easily assess the relationship between the climate features of the location and power requirements.

References
[ l] [2] RSN 156-94, Construction Climatology, Republican Construction Standards ( 1995)) p. 136 (the language of the original is Lithuanian). B. Bourgues (Ed.), Climatic Data Handbook for Europe/Climatic Data for the Design of Solar Energy Systems, Consultant Rennes, France. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1992, 112 pp. + appendix, 130 pp.

[ 3 ] B. Bourgues, Calcul des degres-jours mensuels a temperature de base variable. Chauffage, ventilation conditionemment dair, nr. 5 ( 1987) 21-25. [4] Les normes Suisses, Les degres-jours en Suisse. SN 565 381/3.SL4, 1982, -24 pp. [5] R. Sprenger, Manuel pratique du genie climatique.-Paris: PYC edn., 1987, -1500 pp. ]6] Fuel efficiency-7 Degree-days-Energy Efficiency Office, Departement of energy, UK, 1991, -48 pp. [7] ASHRAE Handbook 1989. [8] V. Martinaitis, The calculation of seasonal heat requirements on the degree-day basis, Scientific works, Vilnius Technical University, Sanitary engineering and hydraulics 21, V. Technika ( 1994). pp. 56 64 (the language of the original is Lithuanian). [9] H.C.S. Thorn, Normal degree days above any base by universal trunction coefficient, Monthly Weather Rev. 94 (7) ( 1966) 461465. [ 101 D.G. Erbs, W.A. Beckman, S.A. Klein. Degree days for variable base temperatures, Proc. 6th National Passive Solar Conference, Portland, OR, ASES, 1981, pp. 387-391. [ 11 I D.G. Erbs, S.A. Klein, W.A. Beckman, Estimationofdegree-days and ambiente temperature bin data from monthly temperature averages, ASHRAE J. 25 (6) ( 1983) 60-65. [ 121 G.J. Schoenau, R.A. Kehring, A method for calculating degree-days to any base temperature, Energy and Buildings N14 ( 1990) 299-302. [ 131 E.R. Hitchin, Developments in degree-day methods of estimating energy use, Building Environ. 25 ( 1) ( 1990) l-6. [ 141 V. Martinaitis, The thermal dynamic assessment of a climate by defining the energy requirements of buildings, Lithuanian scientific works, Power Eng., 1 (1997) pp. 4147 (in Lithuanian).