Abstract: Degree-days play a crucial role in predicting thermal energy consumption for energy management and forecasting in buildings. Base temperature, commonly used in degree-day calculations, represents the outdoor temperature threshold at which a building’s internal heat balance shifts from passive maintenance to active heating or cooling. This study examines key factors influencing base temperature selection through case studies, refining degree-day calculations for greater accuracy. By utilizing advanced modelling tools such as Degree Days.net and Renewables. ninja. Different countries follow various base temperature conventions, such as 18°C in the USA, 15.5°C in the UK, and 12°C in Switzerland. Unlike a fixed national standard, the true base temperature of a specific building is dynamic, depending on several factors, including the building's thermal properties, the heating system's set temperature, internal heat gains, and solar energy contributions, etc. This work analyses these factors using specific case studies to determine how to calculate the appropriate base temperature for a building. With tools like Degree Days.net, degree-days can be calculated for any desired base temperature. Selecting the most suitable base temperature for each building and heating method ensures more accurate energy predictions.

Keywords: Degree days, basic heating temperature, buildings, continuous heating, Intermittent heating, Isolation, mode of heating

Pages: 16-34