Investigating the Impact of Actual and Modeled Occupant Behavior Information Input to Building Performance Simulation

• Main Authors: Mengda Jia, Ravi Srinivasan, Robert J. Ries, Gnana Bharathy, Nathan Weyer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Buildings
• Subjects: building performance simulation; occupant behavior modeling; on–site survey; co-simulation; mutual impact quantification
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/1/32

Occupant behaviors are one of the most dominant factors that influence building energy use. Understanding the influences from building occupants can promote the development of energy–efficient buildings. This paper quantifies the impact of different occupant behavior information on building energy model (BEM) from multiple perspectives. For this purpose, an occupant behavior model that uses agent–based modeling (ABM) approach is implemented via co-simulation with a BEM of an existing commercial building. Then, actual occupant behavior data in correspondence to ABM output, including operations on window, door, and blinds in selected thermal zones of the building are recorded using survey logs. A simulation experiment is conducted by creating three BEMs with constant, actual, and modeled occupant behavioral inputs. The analysis of the simulation results among these scenarios helps us gain an in–depth understanding of how occupant behaviors influence building performance. This study aims to facilitate robust building design and operation with human–in–the–loop system optimization.