Cooling Degree Days (CDD) and climate scenarios

Cooling Degree Days measure how much (and for how long) outside air temperature is above a base temperature, serving as a proxy for cooling needs.

Definition

CDD for a day = max(0, T_mean − T_base). Annual CDD is the sum across days. Common bases: 18°C or 24°C depending on building stock and comfort assumptions.

Why it matters

• Indicates climate‑driven cooling demand potential
• Supports planning for peak capacity and grid resilience
• Enables comparison across geographies and scenarios (2030/2040)

Explore in the Platform

• Set KPI = CDD and choose a scenario (2030/2040)
• Compare municipalities; identify hotspots with fastest CDD growth
• Combine with building archetypes to refine demand estimates

References

1. ASHRAE Handbook — Fundamentals: Degree‑day methods
2. Copernicus Climate Change Service — Essential Climate Variables