Changes in the Characteristics of the Heating Period in Moscow Due to Global Climate Warming

Currently, one of the main problems of the world community has become the problem of climate change on Earth, global warming has been recorded. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the average surface air temperature rises at a rate of 0.43оC per decade, which is more than two and a half times the rate of global warming and is recorded mainly in the winter and spring seasons. Important applied parameters of the cold season are the climatic characteristics of the heating period. Its duration and average temperature are the main indicators in estimates of energy costs for heating buildings. Reducing the average duration and increasing the temperature of the heating period create conditions for reducing the consumption of thermal energy. The reduction of energy costs during the heating period refers to the possible positive consequences for the Russian Federation of the expected climate changes, which have a significant potential for effective sectoral and regional economic development. For the rational use of climate change, it is necessary to take them into account in building codes. In the presented work, based on 60 years of observations by the Meteorological Observatory of the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, the variability of the main characteristics of the heating period in Moscow is analyzed. It is shown that there is a tendency to decrease the degree-day of the heating period, although there are years when the main characteristics of the heating period advise the climatic norm of earlier observations.