Extended Abstract (384K)P2.2
Heating and cooling degree days as an indicator of climate change in Freiburg
Andreas Matzarakis, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, , Germany; and F. Thomsen
For Freiburg, an increase in air temperature of about 3.5 °C will be expected to the end of the 21st century. The mean annual air temperature for the period 1961-1990 in Freiburg is 10.8 °C. The urban conditions and the urban heat island are a phenomenon of the changed energy bal-ance in cities and warmer conditions means changes in the exhaust of heat for heating or cool-ing demands. Nowadays, in the mid latitudes or mild climate regions a.e. Freiburg the consumption of energy is more for heating than for cooling. For many regions, it will be of interest if there is gain or loss in energy demand for heating or cooling. Concerning urban cli-mate and urban planning purposes it is not on interest to have the increase of air temperature in an annual mean but in form of frequencies of thresholds and number of days. The question is how to quantify the heating and cooling energy demands. This can be carried out by the use of degree days and annual amount of them. The advantage of them is that they are based only on air temperature and thus, the final results are given in °C.
In our study, the modelled data is based on the regional climate model REMO from the Max-Planck-Institute of Meteorology in Hamburg. The model region encompasses Germany and the Alps. The data is available from 1950 until 2100. In that way, the periods 1961-1990 and 1971-2000 of the A1B scenario can be used as the reference periods for future climate change re-spectively. Additionally, the results simulated by B1 are presented as well. Furthermore, the data from the climate station of the German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for the period 1961-2000 have been also analysed.
Both results, based on measurements and simulations, show a reduction of more than 30 % of heating degree days in the A1B and B1 scenario. On the other side there is a strong increase of the cooling degree days in the same level. In addition, the results are compared and analysed in terms of energy conditions and demand in Freiburg.
Poster Session 2, Human and Environmental Impacts of Urbanization - Poster Session
Thursday, 15 January 2009, 9:45 AM-11:00 AM, Hall 5
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