Assessing occupant behaviour in open-plan offices in Florianópolis: a case study regarding windows, lighting, and air-conditioning systems

Abstract

The influence of occupant behaviour in buildings is widely discussed as one of the causes for the gap between energy use estimated via computer simulation and during building operation. Knowing the main drivers for adjustments in building systems is essential to guide the development of mathematical models for such behaviours. The aim of this study is to evaluate the main motivating agents for adjusting windows, luminaires, and air-conditioning in offices. Two offices were monitored using sensors that collected data from the internal environment and user interaction with such systems. Rainfall and external and internal air temperatures were considered influential for the interaction with window systems. The increase in internal and external temperatures had even more influence on interactions with air-conditioners. The main conclusions were: there is influence of the layout of the offices in the sharing and control of windows and efficiency of passive strategies, such as the use of natural and cross ventilation; and there is an influence of the increase in internal temperature compared to external temperature in the predictability of opening windows and turning air-conditioning devices on.

Keywords:
User behavior; Indoor Environmental Quality; Office buildings