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The Role of Occupants in Buildings’ Energy Performance Gap: Myth or Reality?

Author

Listed:
  • Ardeshir Mahdavi

    (Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria)

  • Christiane Berger

    (Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria)

  • Hadeer Amin

    (Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria)

  • Eleni Ampatzi

    (Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, Bute Building, King Edward VII Ave., Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK)

  • Rune Korsholm Andersen

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Elie Azar

    (Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates)

  • Verena M. Barthelmes

    (Thermal Engineering for the Built Environment Laboratory (TEBEL), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Passage du Cardinal 13B, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • Matteo Favero

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Jakob Hahn

    (Research Institute CENERGIE—Center for Energy Efficient Buildings and Districts, Department 05: Building Services Engineering, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Lothstr. 34, 80335 Munich, Germany)

  • Dolaana Khovalyg

    (Thermal Engineering for the Built Environment Laboratory (TEBEL), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Passage du Cardinal 13B, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland)

  • Henrik N. Knudsen

    (Division of Sustainability, Energy and Indoor Environment, Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, A. C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2450 Copenhagen, Denmark)

  • Alessandra Luna-Navarro

    (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK)

  • Astrid Roetzel

    (School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia)

  • Fisayo C. Sangogboye

    (Software Engineering Section, Mærsk Mckinney Møller Institute, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark)

  • Marcel Schweiker

    (Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany)

  • Mahnameh Taheri

    (Arbnco Ltd., Glasgow G1 1RD, UK)

  • Despoina Teli

    (Division of Building Services Engineering, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden)

  • Marianne Touchie

    (Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada)

  • Silke Verbruggen

    (Research Group Building Physics, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium)

Abstract

Buildings’ expected (projected, simulated) energy use frequently does not match actual observations. This is commonly referred to as the energy performance gap. As such, many factors can contribute to the disagreement between expectations and observations. These include, for instance, uncertainty about buildings’ geometry, construction, systems, and weather conditions. However, the role of occupants in the energy performance gap has recently attracted much attention. It has even been suggested that occupants are the main cause of the energy performance gap. This, in turn, has led to suggestions that better models of occupant behavior can reduce the energy performance gap. The present effort aims at the review and evaluation of the evidence for such claims. To this end, a systematic literature search was conducted and relevant publications were identified and reviewed in detail. The review entailed the categorization of the studies according to the scope and strength of the evidence for occupants’ role in the energy performance gap. Moreover, deployed calculation and monitoring methods, normalization procedures, and reported causes and magnitudes of the energy performance gap were documented and evaluated. The results suggest that the role of occupants as significant or exclusive contributors to the energy performance gap is not sufficiently substantiated by evidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Ardeshir Mahdavi & Christiane Berger & Hadeer Amin & Eleni Ampatzi & Rune Korsholm Andersen & Elie Azar & Verena M. Barthelmes & Matteo Favero & Jakob Hahn & Dolaana Khovalyg & Henrik N. Knudsen & Ale, 2021. "The Role of Occupants in Buildings’ Energy Performance Gap: Myth or Reality?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-44, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:6:p:3146-:d:516117
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peñasco, Cristina & Anadón, Laura Díaz, 2023. "Assessing the effectiveness of energy efficiency measures in the residential sector gas consumption through dynamic treatment effects: Evidence from England and Wales," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    2. Simon P. Melgaard & Kamilla H. Andersen & Anna Marszal-Pomianowska & Rasmus L. Jensen & Per K. Heiselberg, 2022. "Fault Detection and Diagnosis Encyclopedia for Building Systems: A Systematic Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-50, June.
    3. Adeyeye, Kemi, 2024. "Controlling the ‘elephant in the room’: A new protocol for sharing data from home performance monitoring systems," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Geske, Joachim, 2022. "The value of energy efficiency in residential buildings – a matter of heterogeneity?!," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Geraldi, Matheus Soares & Ghisi, Enedir, 2022. "Integrating evidence-based thermal satisfaction in energy benchmarking: A data-driven approach for a whole-building evaluation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PB).
    6. Luka Pajek & Mitja Košir, 2021. "Exploring Climate-Change Impacts on Energy Efficiency and Overheating Vulnerability of Bioclimatic Residential Buildings under Central European Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    7. Fiona Shirani & Kate O’Sullivan & Rachel Hale & Nick Pidgeon & Karen Henwood, 2022. "From Active Houses to Active Homes: Understanding Resident Experiences of Transformational Design and Social Innovation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Moeller, Simon & Bauer, Amelie, 2022. "Energy (in)efficient comfort practices: How building retrofits influence energy behaviours in multi-apartment buildings," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).

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