The effects of modern temperature fluctuations on building heating modes in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

• Published in: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
• Main Authors: Maksyutova, E V, Bashalkhanova, L B
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: IOP Publishing 2021
• Subjects: Sakha; Verkhoyansk; Yakutsk; Republic of Sakha; Yakutia
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/629/1/012048; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/629/1/012048/pdf; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/629/1/012048

Abstract The article characterizes trends in duration, mean temperature, and fuel consumption index for the heating periods of 1991-2018 based on the observations at several meteorological stations in Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) – Verkhoyansk, Yakutsk, and Lensk. It has been show that despite recent climate variation, the heating period remains long due to low temperatures across the territory. A downward trend in the duration of the heating period was observed at the Lensk station, and an increase in the mean temperature was recorded at the Yakutsk station. In recent decades (1991-2018), temperature fluctuations contributed to variation in the fuel consumption index: +7/-11% from the multi-year average in Verkhoyansk, +9/-9% in Yakutsk, and +11/-9% in Lensk. Comparison of the variation in heating fuel consumption index across different time intervals revealed its strong dependence on the number of years and the time period selected for the analysis. A minor increase (2-7%) was found for 1965-2015 vs 1881-1960 data. Analysis of shorter periods-1991-2018 vs 1965-2015 – shows a more pronounced decrease in fuel consumption index (9-11%), mainly due to more frequent anomalies in year-to-year temperature variation. The ongoing climate change increases temperature variation year to year and associated risks for urban heat supply. In order to facilitate safety of human population in Northern territories, a long-term strategy is required to adapt heating energy systems to rapid climate fluctuations.