U.S. cooling demand rises 12% in 2024
The number of nationwide Cooling Degree Days jumped 12 percent compared to 2023, according to data from the National Weather Service
Image: WIRED
U.S. cooling demand last year jumped 12 percent compared to 2023, according to an analysis of the latest national weather data.
The big picture: Nationwide cooling demand has been stable over the past five years, with the biggest yearly drop being in 2023 when cooling demand fell 10 percent from 2022.
Details: The U.S. recorded 1,400 Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) from January to December 2024, according to data from the National Weather Service.
- Catch up: CDDs measure cooling demand by subtracting 65 ℉ from a day’s average temperature.
- During the same period in 2023, the U.S. recorded 1,254 CDDs.
Zoom in: The Pacific region — California, Oregon, and Washington — saw cooling demand rise 36 percent year-over-year, the biggest increase in the country.
- Meanwhile, the “West North Central” region, spanning the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska, saw cooling demand drop seven percent, the biggest regional decrease.
Looking ahead: The Energy Information Administration, the country’s official energy stats agency, expects the trend to persist long term, with nationwide cooling demand rising 70 percent between now and 2050.
Keep reading
NYC program deploys plug-in power banks for window AC units
CEO Andrew Wang told Homepros that the program launched last summer with 100 units and has expanded to roughly 1,000 this month
White House targets 1 million new apprentices
The president signed an executive order aimed at spurring one million new apprentices per year, including in the skilled trades
Carrier’s battery-enabled HVAC bet takes shape
The company has begun field testing battery-enabled HVAC systems across the U.S., aimed at relieving pressure on the power grid