Household energy consumption: a study of the role of occupants

• Published in: Building research and information : the international journal of research, development and demonstration development and demonstration, 2009-09, Vol.37 (5-6), p.625-637
• Main Authors: Steemers, Koen, Yun, Geun Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: behaviour; building stock; Buildings; Climate; Comparative analysis; Energy consumption; Energy policy; households; Housing; Information; inhabitant; Q1; Regression analysis; residential; Residential buildings; Socioeconomics; Statistical analysis
• ISSN: 0961-3218; 1466-4321
• DOI: 10.1080/09613210903186661

To what extent is energy performance determined by interactions between occupants, behaviour and buildings systems, as well as building and climate characteristics? The purpose of this paper is to establish which factors, and to what extent, affect the energy performance of a housing stock. The US residential sector is used to test the relative roles of socio-economic and behavioural aspects of occupants, as compared with climatic and physical building characteristics. Household heating and cooling energy consumption is investigated using an existing extensive survey, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) by the US Department of Energy. This data set consists of information on actual energy consumption along with detailed energy-related characteristics of the housing units and their occupants. The paper presents a statistical analysis of the housing stock and assesses the relative roles of variables on energy use. Regression models and path analysis are used to determine the significance of parameters and their interrelationships. Results reveal that apart from climate, occupant behavioural aspects and socio-economic aspects are critical, partly directly and also significantly indirectly through their influence on choices and decisions about the physical characteristics of buildings and systems. Models are created for the analysis of heating and cooling energy that can be used to explore energy-related policies. Dans quelle mesure la performance énergétique est-elle déterminée par les interactions entre les occupants, le comportement et les systèmes des bâtiments, ainsi que par les caractéristiques de la construction et du climat? L'objet de cet article est de déterminer les facteurs qui ont une incidence sur la performance énergétique d'un parc de logements, et ce, dans quelle mesure. Le secteur résidentiel américain est utilisé pour tester les rôles respectifs des aspects socioéconomiques et comportementaux des occupants, par comparaison avec les caractéristiques climatiques et physiques des bâtiments. La consommation énergétique domestique utilisée pour chauffer et refroidir les logements est étudiée en utilisant une vaste enquête existante du Ministère de l'Energie américain, l'Enquête sur la Consommation d'Energie du Secteur Résidentiel (RECS). Ce jeu de données consiste en des informations portant sur la consommation réelle d'énergie, ainsi que sur les caractéristiques détaillées, liées à l'énergie, des unités d'habitation et de leurs occu