The impacts of occupant behavior on building energy consumption: A review

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 101212
Author(s):  
Shuo Chen ◽  
Guomin Zhang ◽  
Xiaobo Xia ◽  
Yixing Chen ◽  
Sujeeva Setunge ◽  
...  
Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 684-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Asadi ◽  
Norhayati Mahyuddin ◽  
Payam Shafigh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the concept of occupant behavior and its relation with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and building energy consumption. The behavior is referred to any direct or indirect action, which is selected by an occupant to manage the unpleasant indoor environmental conditions. Thermal comfort, indoor air quality, aural comfort and visual comfort are the key factors of IEQ evaluation. Human behavior significantly interacts with energy consumption in buildings. Design/methodology/approach Each IEQ parameter was reviewed separately and the overall IEQ acceptance was considered. In addition, this paper reviews the methods that were used to measure and simulate the IEQ factors, energy consumption and human behavior. Finally, the lack of knowledge in this field is based on the review demonstrated. Findings Most studies considered one or two IEQ factors to evaluate IEQ acceptance in buildings. Further, weakness of simulating all IEQ factors at the same time is the deficiency of IEQ simulation, based on reviews. In the case of occupant behavior simulation, the uncertainly of human psychological parameter is a drawback to predict behavior. Originality/value Energy consumption, occupant health and productivity are related to IEQ. Human behavior affects building energy consumption directly. Simulation software and methods can predict IEQ factors and human behavior. Therefore, reviewing the existing studies is critical to find new methods for measuring and simulating IEQ, energy consumption and human behavior in buildings.


2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1409-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhun Yu ◽  
Benjamin C.M. Fung ◽  
Fariborz Haghighat ◽  
Hiroshi Yoshino ◽  
Edward Morofsky

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3227
Author(s):  
Lin Yang ◽  
Sha Liu ◽  
Jiaqi Liu

Occupant behavior is acknowledged as a main contribution to building energy consumption. Many efforts have been devoted to identifying the impact of occupant behaviors on building energy consumption. However, the lack of understanding of the interaction effects among occupant behavior-related factors, to some extent, can lead to inaccurate results. To decode these complex interactions, this study was conducted to investigate the interaction effects of occupant behavior-related factors. A survey based on the Drive-Need-Action-System (DNAS) theory was used to describe the occupant behaviors. Then, based on the survey, a simulation model of an office building was applied for estimating the energy consumption led by different occupant behaviors. Finally, an orthogonal design of experiments (DOE) method combined with Pareto analysis was used to quantify the interactions of occupant behavior-related factors on energy consumption. Results show that factor combinations with strong interaction effects include: (1) lighting control and lighting fixture type and (2) computer control and tolerance of temperature range. The results provide important reference for building designers and facility managers toward a better understanding of the influences of occupant behaviors on building energy consumption.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 762
Author(s):  
Liu Tian ◽  
Yongcai Li ◽  
Jun Lu ◽  
Jue Wang

High population density, dense high-rise buildings, and impervious pavements increase the vulnerability of cities, which aggravate the urban climate environment characterized by the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Cities in China provide unique information on the UHI phenomenon because they have experienced rapid urbanization and dramatic economic development, which have had a great influence on the climate in recent decades. This paper provides a review of recent research on the methods and impacts of UHI on building energy consumption, and the practical techniques that can be used to mitigate the adverse effects of UHI in China. The impact of UHI on building energy consumption depends largely on the local microclimate, the urban area features where the building is located, and the type and characteristics of the building. In the urban areas dominated by air conditioning, UHI could result in an approximately 10–16% increase in cooling energy consumption. Besides, the potential negative effects of UHI can be prevented from China in many ways, such as urban greening, cool material, water bodies, urban ventilation, etc. These strategies could have a substantial impact on the overall urban thermal environment if they can be used in the project design stage of urban planning and implemented on a large scale. Therefore, this study is useful to deepen the understanding of the physical mechanisms of UHI and provide practical approaches to fight the UHI for the urban planners, public health officials, and city decision-makers in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 542
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Litardo ◽  
Massimo Palme ◽  
Rubén Hidalgo-León ◽  
Fernando Amoroso ◽  
Guillermo Soriano

This paper compares the potential for building energy saving of various passive and active strategies and on-site power generation through a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system (SPVS). The case study is a student welfare unit from a university campus located in the tropical climate (Aw) of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The proposed approach aims to identify the most effective energy saving strategy for building retrofit in this climate. For this purpose, we modeled the base line of the building and proposed energy saving scenarios that were evaluated independently. All building simulations were done in OpenStudio-EnergyPlus, while the on-site power generation was carried out using the Homer PRO software. Results indicated that the incorporation of daylighting controls accounted for the highest energy savings of around 20% and 14% in total building energy consumption, and cooling loads, respectively. Also, this strategy provided a reduction of about 35% and 43% in total building energy consumption, and cooling loads, respectively, when combined with triple low-e coating glazing and active measures. On the other hand, the total annual electric energy delivered by the SPVS (output power converter) was 66,590 kWh, from where 48,497 kWh was supplied to the building while the remaining electricity was injected into the grid.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4084
Author(s):  
Hassan Bazazzadeh ◽  
Peiman Pilechiha ◽  
Adam Nadolny ◽  
Mohammadjavad Mahdavinejad ◽  
Seyedeh sara Hashemi safaei

A substantial share of the building sector in global energy demand has attracted scholars to focus on the energy efficiency of the building sector. The building’s energy consumption has been projected to increase due to mass urbanization, high living comfort standards, and, more importantly, climate change. While climate change has potential impacts on the rate of energy consumption in buildings, several studies have shown that these impacts differ from one region to another. In response, this paper aimed to investigate the impact of climate change on the heating and cooling energy demands of buildings as influential variables in building energy consumption in the city of Poznan, Poland. In this sense, through the statistical downscaling method and considering the most recent Typical Meteorological Year (2004–2018) as the baseline, the future weather data for 2050 and 2080 of the city of Poznan were produced according to the HadCM3 and A2 GHG scenario. These generated files were then used to simulate the energy demands in 16 building prototypes of the ASHRAE 90.1 standard. The results indicate an average increase in cooling load and a decrease in heating load at 135% and 40% , respectively, by 2080. Due to the higher share of heating load, the total thermal load of the buildings decreased within the study period. Therefore, while the total thermal load is currently under the decrease, to avoid its rise in the future, serious measures should be taken to control the increased cooling demand and, consequently, thermal load and GHG emissions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document