Occupant Behaviors and Energy Use: Creating High-Performance People for High-Performance Buildings

摘要

Many high-performance building strategies, such as daylighting and natural ventilation, offer a wealth of potential benefits to both occupants and owners (i.e., increased productivity, satisfaction, cost savings, etc.). However, these benefits may be compromised by patterns of occupation, especially if the end-users do not understand how to interact with buildings as intended. Furthermore, social influences and resulting occupant behaviors may further complicate energy efficiency goals. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to better understand occupant behaviors, environmental satisfaction, and learning in high-performance buildings. Results indicated a significant difference between groups; individuals who had reported effective training were significantly more likely to be satisfied with their office environment (Day and Gunderson, 2014). Additional qualitative findings offer further insight into occupant behaviors and interactions. The primary objective of this paper is to identify motivators and characteristics of occupant behaviors, as they relate to building energy use.