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

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.