scholarly journals Comparing Occupant Self-Assessed Behaviour to Actual Metered Consumption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Andres Prada
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Statistical Bias ◽  
Performance Review ◽  
Building Management ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Usage Patterns

A post-­‐occupancy evaluation (POE) is a comprehensive building performance review that includes occupant surveys and provides feedback on the overall success of a building design in addressing end-­‐user requirements. In doing so, POE often identifies disparities between expected and actual energy usage patterns. Part of determining the source of these disparities is the evaluation of tenant responses. Since these are heavily dependent on the users’ ability to accurately recall their usage patterns, their potential inaccuracy may misinform building retrofits and future projects. This study seeks to compare occupant self-­‐assessed behaviour to actual metered consumption. A recently retrofit multi-­‐unit residential building (MURB) and Tower Renewal pilot project was selected for the evaluation, and access to the electricity consumption of the pilot was obtained from building management. The project has 146 units, each approximately 20.5m A post-­‐retrofit survey has been carried out, which amongst other factors attempted to collect information on small appliances and electronics and their use. 48 valid samples were obtained. The monthly electricity consumption of each unit has been calculated based on the tenant responses, and these values have been compared to actual consumption values from the electronic meters. The average estimated consumption was found to be 45% more than the average metered consumption, with 46% of the survey-­‐based estimates exceeding their respective metered readings by more than 50%. As many as 86% of tenants whose consumption estimate exceeded 50% of the metered value incurred time overestimation, while 23% incurred statistical bias. It was also found that all tenants who incurred statistical bias also incurred time overestimation. While individual estimates tend to disagree with metered data, large-­‐sample assessments may still be possible. Mode-­‐based assessments help to limit sources of discrepancy by eliminating tenant responses that occur infrequently, thus creating sample cases that resemble the contents of a ‘typical unit’. However, great care must be taken to avoid introducing further bias. To this end, more rigorous statistical analysis is required. It is recommended that future surveys avoid overestimation by arranging time-­‐related questions in a manner that allows quick revision, tightening the ranges for usage questions to minimize assumptions made, and including relevant custom-­‐made questions that either clarify questions for the tenants or minimize ambiguity in the results.

scholarly journals Comparing Occupant Self-Assessed Behaviour to Actual Metered Consumption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Andres Prada
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Statistical Bias ◽  
Performance Review ◽  
Building Management ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Usage Patterns

A post-­‐occupancy evaluation (POE) is a comprehensive building performance review that includes occupant surveys and provides feedback on the overall success of a building design in addressing end-­‐user requirements. In doing so, POE often identifies disparities between expected and actual energy usage patterns. Part of determining the source of these disparities is the evaluation of tenant responses. Since these are heavily dependent on the users’ ability to accurately recall their usage patterns, their potential inaccuracy may misinform building retrofits and future projects. This study seeks to compare occupant self-­‐assessed behaviour to actual metered consumption. A recently retrofit multi-­‐unit residential building (MURB) and Tower Renewal pilot project was selected for the evaluation, and access to the electricity consumption of the pilot was obtained from building management. The project has 146 units, each approximately 20.5m A post-­‐retrofit survey has been carried out, which amongst other factors attempted to collect information on small appliances and electronics and their use. 48 valid samples were obtained. The monthly electricity consumption of each unit has been calculated based on the tenant responses, and these values have been compared to actual consumption values from the electronic meters. The average estimated consumption was found to be 45% more than the average metered consumption, with 46% of the survey-­‐based estimates exceeding their respective metered readings by more than 50%. As many as 86% of tenants whose consumption estimate exceeded 50% of the metered value incurred time overestimation, while 23% incurred statistical bias. It was also found that all tenants who incurred statistical bias also incurred time overestimation. While individual estimates tend to disagree with metered data, large-­‐sample assessments may still be possible. Mode-­‐based assessments help to limit sources of discrepancy by eliminating tenant responses that occur infrequently, thus creating sample cases that resemble the contents of a ‘typical unit’. However, great care must be taken to avoid introducing further bias. To this end, more rigorous statistical analysis is required. It is recommended that future surveys avoid overestimation by arranging time-­‐related questions in a manner that allows quick revision, tightening the ranges for usage questions to minimize assumptions made, and including relevant custom-­‐made questions that either clarify questions for the tenants or minimize ambiguity in the results.

An Experimental Approach to Assess the Disparities in the Usage Trends of Domestic Electric Lighting

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toufic Zaraket ◽  
Bernard Yannou ◽  
Yann Leroy ◽  
Stephanie Minel ◽  
Emilie Chapotot
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Models ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Technical Solutions

In a country like France, electricity consumption devoted to domestic lighting represents nearly a fifth of the total energy consumption of a building. The use of electric lighting is influenced by several factors such as the building’s structural characteristics, the activities of its occupants, the lighting equipments, and the level of natural light. Designers do take into account, in their energy models, the influence of occupants on the building’s overall energy consumption. However, these models still have some drawbacks regarding the comprehension of real “occupants’ energy behaviors” which play an important role in the discrepancies between predicted and real energy consumptions. The behavioral factors behind occupants’ usage trends of energy are still not thoroughly explored. Therefore, it is assumed that a better comprehension of these behaviors and consumption mechanisms could lead to the identification of technical solutions and energy saving potentials, thus resulting in a more robust building design. The present paper aims to provide an insight into domestic lighting usages. The main objective is to explore the key factors (socio-demographic, economic, technical and behavioral) responsible for the disparities in lighting consumption between one household and another. For this purpose, an experiment is performed concurrently to the proposal of a lighting usage model. A micro level investigation protocol is elaborated and used to conduct in-depth studies on the usage patterns of electric lighting. The survey is conducted on a sample of 8 French households. The methodology for constructing the experimental protocol, its deployment, as well as the results obtained and their analysis are presented in this paper. The need for further qualitative and quantitative studies to better understand the usage trends of electric lighting is discussed.

scholarly journals Ecomusicology: A socioecological dimension towards acoustically sustainable residential buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-188
Author(s):  
Peter Uchenna Okoye ◽  
Kevin Chuks Okolie ◽  
Christian Ifeanyi Ohaedeghasi ◽  
Chukwuemeka Ngwu
Keyword(s):  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
P Value ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Anambra State ◽  
Acoustic Comfort ◽  
Sound Environment

This study examined the socioecological roles of music sounds towards achieving acoustically sustainable residential building. The study adopted a survey research approach where questionnaires were distributed to the occupants of different types of residential buildings in three urban cities of Anambra State Nigeria. The survey data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Software. The results revealed that music plays significant roles towards acoustically sustainable building performance with the overall average mean score index of 4.36 and a range of 3.64 to 4.87. But the three most outstanding roles played by music towards acoustically sustainable building performance were: Enabling pleasant sound environment (4.87), improving quality of relaxation and resting (4.83), and increasing acoustic comfort and satisfaction (4.79). The result of one-way ANOVA revealed that music sounds significantly influence acoustical sustainability performance of residential buildings (p-value (.000) < α (0.05); F-ratio (148.377) > F-critical (3.020)); and that there was no significance difference between opinions of residents of the three urban cities in this regard (p-value (0.713) > α (0.05); F-ratio (0.338) < F-critical (3.020)). This study therefore, canvassed for integration of music principles and acoustics into sustainable building design processes as a way of achieving a sustainable building.

scholarly journals A Comparative Assessment for the Potential Energy Production from PV Installation on Residential Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10344
Author(s):  
Sameh Monna ◽  
Adel Juaidi ◽  
Ramez Abdallah ◽  
Mohammed Itma
Keyword(s):  
Potential Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Energy Sustainability ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Residential Units ◽  
Future Consumption

This paper targets the future energy sustainability and aims to estimate the potential energy production from installing photovoltaic (PV) systems on the rooftop of apartment’s residential buildings, which represent the largest building sector. Analysis of the residential building typologies was carried out to select the most used residential building types in terms of building roof area, number of floors, and the number of apartments on each floor. A computer simulation tool has been used to calculate the electricity production for each building type, for three different tilt angles to estimate the electricity production. Tilt angle, spacing between the arrays, the building shape, shading from PV arrays, and other roof elements were analyzed for optimum and maximum electricity production. The electricity production for each household has been compared to typical household electricity consumption and its future consumption in 2030. The results show that installing PV systems on residential buildings can speed the transition to renewable energy and energy sustainability. The electricity production for building types with 2–4 residential units can surplus their estimated future consumption. Building types with 4–8 residential units can produce their electricity consumption in 2030. Building types of 12–24 residential units can produce more than half of their 2030 future consumption.

Structure Design for Green Building in some Residential Area in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 655-658
Author(s):  
Rong Qin
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Green Building Design ◽  
Land Saving ◽  
Material Saving

There are six basic control items, land saving, energy saving, water saving, material saving, indoor environment and operation, among which, only material saving are related to structure design. We followed the green building design concept and the control items list in those standards during structure design of one of the residential area in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, which consist of 15~18-story residential building connected to a large underground garage, as is shown below.

Hands-On Graduate Courses in Lean Manufacturing (LM) Emphasizing Green and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey J. Peter
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Total Productive Maintenance ◽  
Initial Product ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Institute Of Technology

The author developed and taught the second hands-on graduate course in a series of three Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing (EFM) courses offered at the Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering and Technology (MMET) Masters Program at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), Portland Center. Courses in this series include Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing (ECM-1), Lean Manufacturing (LM) emphasizing Green and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and Emission Control in Manufacturing (ECM-II). The first two-thirds of the course curriculum consisted of regular classroom lectures, limited homework, two case studies, discussions, videos, and visits to two companies that were implementing or had implemented LM. In addition, a guest lecturer from Washington State Department of Ecology discussed relevant LM and environmental case studies. The final third of the course curriculum consisted of hands-on industry-based case studies. Students gained real-world experience in the manufacturing facilities of the four companies that elected to participate in the pilot project. The LM course, taught from an engineer’s point of view, emphasized the engineer’s role at the initial product design stage, and or manufacturing process design, including building design. This paper describes the course content of the LM curriculum, the innovative methods developed to teach the course, and the methods used to teach LM to graduate students with different undergraduate educational backgrounds including individuals with no prior industrial experience. It discusses three industry-based case studies, company profiles, and the benefits derived by participating companies and graduate students. Curriculum effectiveness was determined at the end of the course in part through students’ and industry participant’s comments. Future publication will describe the contents and case studies of the third ECM II in the EFM course curricula.

THE EFFECT OF OCCUPANCY ON ELECTRICITY USE IN THREE CANADIAN SCHOOLS

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-112
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ouf ◽  
Mohamed H. Issa ◽  
Phil Merkel ◽  
Panos Polyzois
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
After School ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Comprehensive Method ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Period 2 ◽  
Consumption Data ◽  
Plug Loads

Through building performance simulations, previous studies showed the effect of occupants on buildings' energy consumption. To further demonstrate this effect using empirical evidence, this study analyzed the effect of occupancy on real-time electricity consumption in three case-study schools in Manitoba. Within each school, one classroom as well as the gymnasium were sub-metered to collect real-time electricity consumption data at half-hourly intervals. The study focused on electricity consumption for lighting and plug loads, which make up 30% of energy consumption in Canadian commercial and institutional buildings. A comprehensive method was developed to investigate energy-related occupant behaviour in the sub-metered spaces using four different tools simultaneously: 1) gymnasium bookings after school hours over a four-month period, 2) half-hourly observations of lighting and equipment use in the sub-metered spaces in each school over a two-week period, 3) a daily survey administered to teachers in the sub-metered classrooms over a two-week period, and 4) occupancy and light sensors to evaluate actual recorded occupancy and light use durations over a four-month period. Results showed that recorded occupancy durations over a 4-month period only explained less than 10% of the variations in classrooms' lighting electricity consumption, meaning that lights may have been used frequently while classrooms were unoccupied. Results also showed the differences in gymnasiums' electricity consumption were still statistically significant between the three schools, even after school hours and when the gymnasiums were not used or booked for other activities. This study is the first to provide in-depth evaluation of the effect of occupancy on electricity consumption in Canadian schools.

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