Article
Construction & Building Technology
Z. Khorasani Zadeh, M. Ouf, B. Gunay, B. Delcroix, G. Larochelle Martin, A. Daoud
Summary: This study analyzes the override mechanisms and occupant responses during direct load control (DLC) using real-world data from the Ecobee Donate Your Data program. The decision tree algorithm accurately classifies smart thermostat users based on their compliance level with the DLC program, and a clustering algorithm identifies three distinct types of DLC participants. A predictive model for thermostat override behavior is developed, contributing to the design of targeted and less disruptive DLC strategies.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Marika Vellei, Simon Martinez, Jerome Le Dreau
Summary: This study investigates the impact of DR-activated thermostat adjustments on residential comfort needs, and proposes a novel framework to accurately model occupants' interactions with thermostats in winter. By calibrating and simulating using user interaction data, the framework can be used to inform the design and control of setpoint modulations in residential buildings.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Huijeong Kim, Ilias Bilionis, Panagiota Karava, James E. Braun
Summary: This paper aims to establish a new paradigm for energy-aware communities by leveraging smart eco-feedback devices and social games to engage residents in understanding and reducing their home heating and cooling energy use. The authors propose a sociotechnical modeling approach based on utility theory to reveal causal effects in human decision-making and infer attributes affecting thermostat adjustment behavior. Through parameter learning and model calibration using field data, the impact of eco-feedback on households' thermostat adjustment behaviors is quantified. The utility model developed in this work can serve as the foundation for analyzing resident behavior in connected residential communities with energy-saving programs.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Valentina Tomat, Marika Vellei, Alfonso P. Ramallo-Gonzalez, Aurora Gonzalez-Vidal, Jerome Le Dreau, Antonio Skarmeta-Gomez
Summary: Demand Response (DR) strategies are an innovative option for optimizing energy management. This study analyzed user interactions with smart thermostats during DR events using real-world data and identified different categories of users through clustering techniques. The findings revealed that the behavior of some users can reduce the effectiveness of the Direct Load Control (DLC) strategy.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Hussein Elehwany, Mohamed Ouf, Burak Gunay, Nunzio Cotrufo, Jean-Simon Venne
Summary: Occupant-centric controls (OCC) is an indoor climate control approach that utilizes occupant feedback to operate building energy systems. This paper introduces a new off-policy reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm that imitates occupant behavior by utilizing unsolicited occupant thermostat overrides. Simulation results show that the RL algorithm can rapidly learn occupant preferences and achieve substantial energy savings, although the impact varies depending on occupants' preferences and thermostat use behavior stochasticity.
BUILDING SIMULATION
(2023)
Article
Economics
Dylan Brewer
Summary: I conducted a survey that examined how respondents would react to different costs of adjusting their thermostats. By analyzing the survey results, I found that even at the highest price level, half of the participants did not change their behavior in response to the cost. On average, a 100 percent increase in heating costs led to a small reduction in winter heating level. The survey behavior of participants with complete information can explain real-world temperature settings, suggesting limited role of informational barriers in energy-service demand heterogeneity.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Maohui Luo, Qichun Zheng, Ye Zhao, Fei Zhao, Xiang Zhou
Summary: This study introduces the design and benefits of occupant-centric smart thermostats (OCST) in improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort. Through data analysis, it is shown that OCST can significantly reduce energy consumption in single-family houses.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Soroush Samareh Abolhassani, Azar Zandifar, Negar Ghourchian, Manar Amayri, Nizar Bouguila, Ursula Eicker
Summary: Increasing building energy efficiency is crucial for advancing the mission of zero-carbon cities. Building energy simulations are important tools for various purposes, but they have limitations in modeling and predicting occupant behavior. This paper proposes a passive WiFi sensing method to estimate occupant behavior, which offers privacy protection and low deployment cost. This method has the potential to play a significant role in future zero-carbon and smart cities.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sunghyun Kim, Cheol Soo Park
Summary: Window adjustment is a common method for occupants to control the indoor environment and has a significant impact on building energy consumption. However, current studies overlook the variability of individual preferences, fail to comprehensively analyze the factors influencing window adjustment behavior, and lack a unified and explainable prediction model. This study utilizes explainable artificial intelligence to address these issues and provides quantitative analysis on the interaction between environmental and non-environmental factors and occupant behavioral patterns.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Omar Ahmed, Nurettin Sezer, Mohamed Ouf, Liangzhu (Leon) Wang, Ibrahim Galal Hassan
Summary: Occupant behavior is a major factor in building energy consumption, but it is often oversimplified in building performance simulation, leading to a performance gap between actual and simulated energy use. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of recent studies on the different aspects of occupant behavior in building performance simulation, including data collection and analysis, modeling, integration, validation, and presentation. It offers valuable insights for researchers and professionals in accurately modeling occupant behavior and incorporating it into simulation tools.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Opeoluwa Wonuola Olawale, Ben Gilbert, Janet Reyna
Summary: Residential demand flexibility (DF) has potential to save up to 10 GW of peak demand on the U.S. electric grid, but current participation rates are low, with less than 40% of peak reduction capacity realized and less than 8% of households enrolled. Understanding the drivers and occupant interaction with DF program signals is lacking. This study presents a survey processing framework using data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to assess occupant DF-relevant behavior, providing insights into activity priorities during different DF-relevant periods.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. Vulic, M. Sulzer, M. Ruldisuli, Kristina Orehounig
Summary: This study shows the impact of reducing the temperature set-point by 1 degree Celsius on heating demand. At the national level, there is a nearly 6% reduction in residential space heating demand, with a portion met by natural gas.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhihong Pang, Yan Chen, Jian Zhang, Zheng O'Neill, Hwakong Cheng, Bing Dong
Summary: The study evaluated the energy savings potential of a smart thermostat through large-scale simulations, finding that setback control during unoccupied periods can achieve some energy savings. However, only a few cities showed high energy savings ratios. Implementing occupied standby temperature reset may increase HVAC system peak load, while the smart recovery feature can reduce temperature setpoint not met time and improve thermal comfort issues.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Hao Zhou, Juan Yu, Yang Zhao, Chenchen Chang, Jiajun Li, Borong Lin
Summary: The study focused on extracting occupant presence information from indoor environment data, and found that incorporating information of light and AC operations significantly improved recognition accuracy.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jan Priesmann, Lars Nolting, Christina Kockel, Aaron Praktiknjo
Summary: The analysis of future energy systems requires appropriate data, with a focus on energy consumption patterns for heat, cold, mechanical energy, information and communication, and light. The dataset provides comprehensive data on residential, industrial, commerce, and mobility consumers, aggregated and disaggregated to the NUTS2 level for validation and calculations. Multiple data sources are combined to enhance the scope, validity, and reproducibility of energy system modeling, particularly for scenarios involving renewable electricity replacing fossil fuels.
Article
Thermodynamics
Donya Sheikh Khan, J. Kolarik, C. A. Hviid, P. Weitzmann
Summary: Monitoring the performance of HVAC systems during building operation can help improve energy efficiency and indoor conditions. This case study demonstrates that some AHUs met design requirements while others had issues with energy efficiency and thermal conditions.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Donya Sheikh Khan, Jakub Kolarik, Christian Anker Hviid, Peter Weitzmann
Summary: The study evaluated the use of passive-infrared sensors for collecting long-term occupancy data, achieving an accuracy of 87.5% compared to manual observations. The gathered occupancy data can be used to generate occupancy schedules for building simulation models, potentially reduce design ventilation airflows for HVAC sizing, and evaluate decisions to change office space layouts for more efficient space-use.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Nickolaj Feldt Jensen, Soren Peter Bjarlov, Carsten Rode, Birgitte Andersen, Eva B. Moller
Summary: The project investigated fungal growth conditions in artificially contaminated interfaces between solid masonry and adhesive mortar for internal insulation, finding that high pH adhesive mortars can effectively prevent fungal growth, but volatile organic compounds may affect indoor air quality.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Lucile Sarran, Simon Westergaard Lex, Elisabeth Heimdal Waersted
Summary: The study found that there is a disconnect between occupants' actual use and perception of underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation technologies in new and retrofitted dwellings, with design assumptions sometimes failing to meet occupants' expectations. Installation and operational failures are frequent and difficult for users to diagnose and correct, leading occupants to resort to alternative ways of control, potentially impacting energy use and indoor environmental quality.
BUILDING RESEARCH AND INFORMATION
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ville Kukkonen, Ali Kucukavci, Mikki Seidenschnur, Mads Holten Rasmussen, Kevin Michael Smith, Christian Anker Hviid
Summary: This paper explores the challenges of information interoperability in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) fields, with a focus on using linked data and semantic web technologies to establish an extendable data model. The study introduces the Flow Systems Ontology (FSO) for describing flow systems and their mass and energy flows, along with example models and SPARQL queries for validation. The main contribution is the development of FSO as a complementary ontology to existing ones, and a roadmap is introduced for future developments.
AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marie Rugholm Krusaa, Christian Anker Hviid
Summary: This paper presents a novel indoor comfort solution called HVACeiling, which combines a suspended radiant ceiling with diffuse ventilation. The study shows that HVACeiling can achieve thermal comfort with minimal temperature offset, reduce energy consumption and peak power, and support the use of renewable energy sources in a European context.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Marie Rugholm Krusaa, Ida Orduk Hoffmann, Christian Anker Hviid
Summary: This paper experimentally investigates the cooling performance of a concept where a radiant ceiling is suspended from a hollow-core concrete slab and ventilation air is distributed without ducts and air terminals. The results show that the concept performs well in terms of thermal comfort and draught, and offers streamlined installation procedures.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Mikki Seidenschnur, Ali Kucukavci, Esben Visby Fjerbaek, Kevin Michael Smith, Pieter Pauwels, Christian Anker Hviid
Summary: This article introduces a cloud-based Common Data Environment (CDE) called Virtual Commissioning (VC) for HVAC system commissioning in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The microservice architecture of the CDE is proven to be capable of running Modelica simulations. The robustness of the system architecture is tested using example models.
AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Abdelkarim Tahiri, Kevin Michael Smith, Jan Eric Thorsen, Christian Anker Hviid, Svend Svendsen
Summary: This paper proposes two novel control concepts to optimize the charging of domestic hot water (DHW) tanks in large buildings supplied by district heating systems. The first concept employs a smart energy meter, while the second concept uses staged proportional gain with an added temperature sensor. By implementing these control methods, comfort and hygienic requirements are met, and energy consumption and total flow are reduced.
Article
Thermodynamics
Lucile Sarran, Kevin M. Smith, Christian A. Hviid, Carsten Rode
Summary: Operating district heating systems with low supply and return temperatures improves efficiency and allows for greater use of renewable heat sources. This paper proposes a method to improve the operation of hydronic floor heating systems by using data to identify and diagnose faults, as well as predict minimum permissible supply temperatures. Testing this method in a low-energy apartment in Denmark resulted in significant reductions in energy consumption.
Editorial Material
Construction & Building Technology
Menghao Qin, Carsten Rode
JOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Lucile Sarran, Christian Anker Hviid, Carsten Rode
Summary: This study explores the successes and challenges of building retrofit projects, particularly focusing on indoor environmental quality and occupants' satisfaction with technical installations. The findings reveal that the retrofit significantly improved winter thermal comfort and indoor air quality, but issues such as overheating in summer and faults in mechanical ventilation units need to be addressed.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
Lucile Sarran, Carsten Rode, Christian A. Hviid
Summary: This study aimed to gather feedback from occupants of low-energy retrofitted houses on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and building systems. The results showed a significant improvement in IEQ satisfaction in retrofitted houses compared to non-retrofitted ones, although issues such as overheating in summer and dry air persisted. Additionally, occupants of retrofitted houses expressed strong interest in receiving information on IEQ, energy use, and system status, highlighting the need for better communication and guidance in residential retrofit projects.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PERFORMANCE APPROACHES (IAQ 2020), PT 1
(2021)
Article
Economics
Marie-Louise Arlt, David Chassin, Claudio Rivetta, James Sweeney
Summary: This paper examines the impact of real-time pricing and load automation on residential distribution systems. The study finds that implementing real-time pricing can result in an aggregate welfare gain of 39 USD per customer and year. However, it also notes that RTP and load automation may significantly increase peak system load. Introducing a market-based demand management system can further enhance welfare gains and reduce grid investment.
Article
Economics
Javier Jorquera-Copier, Alvaro Lorca, Enzo Sauma, Stefan Lorenczik, Matias Negrete-Pincetic
Summary: As countries update their climate ambitions, low-carbon hydrogen production and use present opportunities for emissions reductions and economic development. A case study for Chile shows that integrating hydrogen and electricity networks can lower system costs and enhance renewable integration, but policy support is needed to address concerns related to water and land use.
Article
Economics
Dawit Guta, Hisham Zerriffi, Jill Baumgartner, Abhishek Jain, Sunil Mani, Darby Jack, Ellison Carter, Guofeng Shen, Jennifer Orgill-Meyer, Joshua Rosenthal, Katherine Dickinson, Rob Bailis, Yuta Masuda
Summary: Household solid fuel use is detrimental to health and the environment. The Indian government's PMUY subsidy has successfully promoted the adoption of LPG by millions of households. However, there is limited understanding of the decision-making process to reduce solid fuel use after transitioning to cleaner fuels. This study found that factors such as household wealth, social status, education level, and the prevalence of LPG use in the village are positively associated with LPG consumption and the discontinuation of solid fuel use. On the other hand, factors such as distance to LPG refill delivery, household size, and the PMUY subsidy are negatively associated with the share of LPG use.
Article
Economics
Nicolas Morell-Dameto, Jose Pablo Chaves-Avila, Tomas Gomez San Roman, Pablo Duenas-Martinez, Tim Schittekatte
Summary: This paper assesses the performance of differently implemented forward-looking network tariff designs and proposes an innovative coordination mechanism to increase predictability in a future with many flexible customers. The study reveals that if large shares of customers synchronize their responses to highly time-varying and locational-specific network charges, it can lead to unexpected reinforcements.
Article
Economics
Alexandra Gritz, Guntram Wolff
Summary: Russia's weaponization of gas supplies shook the energy security of Central and Eastern Europe in 2022. The region responded by increasing alternative energy supplies and developing new gas supply routes. Renewable energy, nuclear energy, and hydrogen play important roles in the long-term. Mitigating the impact of this shock requires the EU to prioritize the integrity of its energy market.
Article
Economics
Jaroslaw Kantorowicz, Marion Collewet, Matthew DiGiuseppe, Hendrik Vrijburg
Summary: Economic costs are a major political obstacle to investing in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. The method of financing plays a crucial role in determining public opposition to government green investments, with debt financing being less opposed than broad-based taxes. This study suggests that credit market tools, such as green bonds and debt for climate swaps, can be politically efficient in increasing support for green financing. Carbon taxes and wealth taxes are found to be the most preferred options.
Article
Economics
Kun Guo, Liyuan Luan, Xiaoli Cai, Dayong Zhang, Qiang Ji
Summary: This paper investigates China's energy trade stability using a survival analysis approach. It finds that the energy trade linkages between China and 153 other countries are complex and unstable, with short periods of trade with many countries. Geopolitically risky regions, such as the Middle East and Africa, have the lowest trade stability. Climate risks have significant effects on energy trade stability. The paper proposes several policy options to improve energy trade stability in China, with special attention to increasing global climate risks.
Article
Economics
Simona Bigerna, Piyush Choudhary, Nikunj Kumar Jain, Silvia Micheli, Paolo Polinori
Summary: This study estimates the willingness to pay of Indian urban consumers for a continuous supply of electricity using contingent valuation method. The findings show that the amount consumers are willing to pay depends on the duration of power outages, with households preferring shorter outages. Income and environmental attitude also positively influence higher willingness to pay. These insights can inform policymakers in designing more reliable and customer-centric energy generation and distribution models.
Article
Economics
Temilade Sesan, Unico Uduka, Lucy Baker, Okechukwu Ugwu, Ewah Eleri, Subhes Bhattacharyya
Summary: This study examines the impact of the regulatory framework on rural electrification and universal energy access goals in Nigeria's mini-grid sector. The findings suggest that while the current framework has fostered sector growth, additional measures are necessary to ensure equitable distribution of access among rural populations.
Article
Economics
Rui Shan, Noah Kittner
Summary: Energy storage is a cornerstone in decarbonization planning as it reduces operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions, while enhancing resilience and renewables integration. However, storage developers in different regions have varying economic and environmental considerations, thereby requiring policy intervention to achieve long-term emission reductions.
Article
Economics
Tung Durmaz, Sevil Acar, Simay Kizilkaya
Summary: This study investigates the phenomenon of strategic capacity withholding in the Turkish electricity market and its relationship with the capacity remuneration mechanism. The empirical results provide strong evidence of strategic capacity withholding and show that the capacity mechanism contributes to the duration of failures. The study offers important insights for policymakers, including the implementation of a random verification mechanism and restructuring of the capacity mechanism in Turkey.
Article
Economics
Tii N. Nchofoung
Summary: The study finds that oil price shocks have a negative impact on Africa's energy transition, particularly in rural areas and net crude oil exporting countries. However, oil price shocks cannot explain the urban-rural differences in clean energy access. Therefore, increasing investment in clean energy and technologies in rural areas is necessary to enhance the resilience of the energy sector to oil price shocks.
Article
Economics
Najia Saqib, Muhammad Usman, Ilhan Ozturk, Arshian Sharif
Summary: This study examines the impact of environmental technologies, financial growth, and energy use on ecological footprint and green growth. Environmental innovation and renewable energy deployment contribute to green growth, while financial expansion and non-renewable energy use have negative effects on the environment. The study also identifies causal relationships between different factors.
Article
Economics
Yessica C. Y. Chung, Noxolo Kunene, Hung-Hao Chang
Summary: The Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is considered an innovative technology for building a green society. This study investigates the impact of REC purchases on stock return and volume in Taiwan between 2017 and 2021. The findings suggest that REC purchases have a positive effect on stock returns of manufacturing firms but not service firms. The frequency of REC purchases is also an important factor in the relationship between REC purchase and firm value. Additionally, the study reveals that public attention to environmental pollution plays a crucial role in positive stock returns and volume, while ESG disclosure is negatively associated with returns and volume.
Article
Economics
Seife Ayele, Wei Shen, Yacob Mulugetta, Tadesse Kuma Worako
Summary: This paper addresses the challenges of governing energy procurement from a mix of non-hydropower renewable energy sources supplied by independent producers. Building on political economy analysis and five case studies of independent producer projects from Ethiopia, it seeks to understand the root causes of the protracted delays and limited extent of procurement by independent producers. The key contestations lie in managing long term contracts, risk, uncertainty and in developing the institutional and human capacity to transition.
