The Estimation of Base Temperature for Heating and Cooling Degree-Days for South Korea

In South Korea, heating degree-days (HDD) and cooling degree-days (CDD) have been widely used as climatic indicators for the assessment of the impact of climate change, but arbitrary or customary base temperatures have been used for calculation of HDD and CDD. The purpose of this study is to determine real base temperatures to accurately calculate HDD and CDD for South Korea, using monthly electric energy consumption and mean temperature data from 2001 to 2010. The results reveal that the regional electricity demand generally depends on air temperature in a V-shaped curve in urban settings but in an L-shaped curve in rural settings, indicating that the sensitivity of the electricity demand to the temperature change is affected by the size of cities. The South Korean regional base temperatures, defined by a piecewise linear regression method, range from 14.7 degrees to 19.4 degrees C. These results suggest that the assessment of climate change impacts on the energy sector in South Korea should be carried out on a regional scale.