Correlation analysis of occupancy and air-conditioning behavior of different offices based on a large-scale survey in HSCW zone of China

Building energy consumption is a critical component of global energy demand, influenced by personnel behaviors. This study explores occupancy and air-conditioning behaviors through descriptive, statistical, cluster, and correlation analyses of 1189 samples from six office building types in China's HSCW zone. Most buildings follow standard occupancy hours (8:00 to 18:00). During the cooling and heating periods, the air-conditioning was activated at 14:16 and 13:59, with average daily set temperatures at 24–26 °C and 20–22 °C, and tolerated temperature ranges of 25–31 °C and 6–14 °C, respectively. Occupancy and air-conditioning patterns vary across building types and seasons, and even within the same building type, these patterns are not entirely consistent. The asynchrony between the two behaviors was analyzed, finding that between 11:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00, the air-conditioning turn-on rate was 0.5–2% per hour higher than the occupancy rate. The probability of air-conditioning use in unoccupied spaces throughout the day is 10 %, while the likelihood of it being turned on less than the occupancy rate is 8 %. Integrating the synchronicity and asynchrony of occupancy and air-conditioning behaviors into energy-saving strategies is proposed to achieve energy savings while maintaining comfort. The findings provide insights for advancing energy-efficient building management and supporting sustainable development.