Saving Energy the Easy Way: An Analysis of Thermostat Management

摘要

We analyzed data on self-reported winter and summer thermostat settings and control strategies that were collected in recent surveys by utility companies, and state and federal energy agencies. We constructed several hypotheses to examine how thermostat management was related to the following occupant-related features: socioeconomic characteristics of occupants (age, education, income, home ownership, and race), building characteristics (house type, size, and age), space conditioning fuel and system, climate, and energy audit programs. We also examined thermostat management over time (during the day, seasonally, and yearly) and analyzed its relationship to energy use. We found that thermostat management (especially during the summer) is not fixed, but varies and is sensitive to some conditions. Certain groups - younger people, better educated individuals, audited households, multi-family households, and residents of warmer climates - reduce energy use at a greater rate than their counterparts. Households lower and raise their thermostats during the day and during different seasons and also shut off their heating and air conditioning systems when their home is unoccupied. In fact, many households reported settings below 68 exp 0 in the winter and above 78 exp 0 in the summer, the standard temperatures used in many energy models and programs. (ERA citation 10:042324)