Overview of Degree Days

 

Overview of Degree Days


What is a Degree Day?

Degree days are measures of how cold or hot an area is. A degree day compares the average outdoor temperatures recorded for an area to a standard temperature, usually 65° Fahrenheit in the United States. This is based on the assumption that when the outside temperature is 65°F, we don't need heating or cooling to be comfortable. The more extreme the outdoor temperature, the higher the number of degree days. A high number of degree days usually results in higher levels of energy use for space heating or cooling.

 

How does Lynx use Degree Days?

Lynx only uses Heating Degree Days (HDD) which are a measure of how cold the temperature was on a given day or during a period of days. For example, a day with an average temperature of 40°F has 25 Degree Days (65°F - 40°F). Two such cold days in a row have a total of 50 Degree Days for the two-day period. Lynx can then use the data to calculate effeciency and predict future return dates.