A New Proposal for the Use of Cooling Degree Hours for the Energy Simulation of Residential Buildings in Mexico

Grecia Gómez, Salvador Soto, José Alejandro Suástegui (), Alexis Acuña and Hernán Daniel Magaña
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Grecia Gómez: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal s/n, Mexicali 21280, Mexico
Salvador Soto: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal s/n, Mexicali 21280, Mexico
José Alejandro Suástegui: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal s/n, Mexicali 21280, Mexico
Alexis Acuña: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal s/n, Mexicali 21280, Mexico
Hernán Daniel Magaña: Instituto Tecnológico Nacional de México, Campus Mexicali, Av. Instituto Tecnológico s/n Plutarco Elías Calles, Mexicali 21376, Mexico

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: The thermal energy simulation of residential buildings involves estimating electricity consumption from both household appliances and air conditioning systems, whose use is influenced by the ambient temperatures of each municipality. However, existing mathematical simulation models face limitations in accurately reproducing electricity consumption patterns in homes across different climate types. This study proposes an enhanced CDH method, developed through a new function aimed at improving the accuracy of residential cooling demand estimation by incorporating behavioral and climatic variability. The function introduces the use of adaptive comfort temperature thresholds specific to each climate type and a time-selective activation mechanism that calculates cooling demand only during the hours when ambient temperature exceeds the adaptive threshold. These activation periods are determined analytically using a Fourier-based temperature model. A representative sample of 35 municipalities in Mexico was selected, covering different climate types and domestic electricity rates. The construction characteristics and average energy use habits of typical dwellings were defined using national housing and energy data to support the simulations. The results show that integrating adaptive thresholds into the CDH equations reduces the simulation error to below 10% when compared to actual residential electricity consumption. The proposed model is applicable across all Mexican municipalities, regardless of climate variability.

Keywords: cooling degree hours; energy consumption; buildings; energy performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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