Compare energy consumption using degree-day adjustment
Degree-day adjustment makes it easier to compare energy consumption between periods with different weather conditions. In Evolo, this is used to compare energy performance over time and across buildings in a more equitable manner.
Written By Evolo Support
Last updated 17 days ago
What is a degree-day?
A degree day indicates how much the outdoor temperature deviates from a building’s set point over time. The set point is the temperature at which the building normally does not require heating or cooling to maintain the desired indoor temperature. In Norway, 17 °C is often used as the set point.
Example: If the outdoor temperature is 10 °C and the balance point is 17 °C, that results in 7 heating degrees for that day.
Why use degree-day correction?
Energy consumption is affected by the weather. A cold month will often result in higher consumption than a mild month, even if the building is used in the same way.
With degree-day correction, you can:
compare consumption between periods more fairly
track changes in energy performance over time
better compare buildings with different weather conditions
How does it work?
Degree-day adjustment adjusts the temperature-dependent portion of energy consumption based on the number of degree-days during the period.
A meter reads 10,000 kWh in a month with 300 degree days. If the same month the following year has 250 degree days, the corrected consumption can be calculated as follows: 10,000 × 250 / 300 = 8,333 kWh
How degree-day correction works in Evolo
In Evolo, you can enable degree-day correction in all comparison charts.
You can set:
a balance point for each meter
heating share, i.e., what portion of consumption is used for heating
This ensures that only the portion of consumption that is actually temperature-dependent is adjusted.
For individual meters
The correction is based on the period with the most valid meter readings within the selected date range.
When comparing buildings
Evolo the meter with the most valid readings is used as a reference for the other meters.
If temperature data is missing
Missing temperature data for an entire period results in a degree-day count of 1. In that case, no correction is made.
Data Basis
The calculations are based on the daily average temperature.
Important to note
Degree-day correction depends on reliable temperature data. Missing or inaccurate data can lead to misleading results.
Common challenges:
Missing temperature data creates gaps in the calculation
Inaccurate temperature measurements can result in incorrect corrected consumption
comparisons between buildings become less reliable when data quality varies
To achieve the best possible results, temperature data should be stable, consistent, and complete.
Degree-day correction provides a better basis for comparing energy consumption when weather conditions vary. The best results are achieved when the temperature data is complete and accurate.