Title: The context of the energy-relevant human interaction with buildings

Authors: Jörn Von Grabe

Addresses: University of Technology Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich, Germany

Abstract: Thermal building simulation calculations serve the aim to optimise the energy consumption of a building. Because modern building design offers increasing opportunities to the occupant to interact with the building in order to regulate the internal conditions, the prediction of this energy-relevant interaction has become progressively important. Currently, a number of stochastic prediction models exist which are based on the analysis of empirical data. However, so far, these models lack a satisfying general validity. At the same time, it is widely accepted that a consideration of context is necessary in order to properly predict human interaction. This paper will seek to transform this somewhat vague purpose into a more concrete set of requirements. It will focus on the deficits of current research in order to analyse the degree to which these requirements have been met in the past and it will proffer general proposals regarding how to overcome these deficits.

Keywords: buildings; energy consumption; simulation; human interaction; human behaviour; context; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFMS.2014.062382

International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation, 2014 Vol.4 No.2, pp.102 - 120

Received: 05 Jul 2013
Accepted: 07 Jan 2014
Published online: 05 Jul 2014 *

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