The development of a tool to validate the influence of user behavior on energy efficiency in public office buildings

Abstract

The global environmental problem has led many countries to adopt Energy Efficiency (EE) strategies to reduce energy consumption, which is assessed with EE labels or “passports”. It is hypothesized that building users are responsible for unforeseen energy consumption in the operational phase. Thus, the objective of this research is to develop and validate a tool for assessing the behavior of users of workspaces in public office buildings. To this end, fieldwork was carried out in three public buildings in the city of San Juan, Argentina. Surveys were conducted to assess the user habits employed as strategies to meet thermal comfort needs, which were correlated with the registered energy consumption. An indicator of User Efficiency Level (UEL) was developed and transferred to a label in order to facilitate quick understanding by users. The results reflect variations in the frequency of use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning devices; opening of doors and windows; control of sun shades and curtains; and the changing of clothes by users, leading to observed variations in building energy consumption. The values obtained from the UEL demonstrate the efficiency of user behavior in relation to the concern for energy.