The influence of window opening habits on the residential energy use in nearly zero energy buildings

In this paper, we discuss the presence of habits in the window opening behaviour of social housing tenants in a nearly zero-energy development in Belgium. A window opening habit can be defined as an action with a window that is repeated daily around the same time independently of the prevailing weather conditions. A carbon neutral social housing estate (106 apartments and 90 single family dwellings) was used as a test case. Questionnaires, window opening logging with a building monitoring system and cross-sectional surveys were used to collect window opening data. A method to identify window opening habits is determined. Up to 45% of the occupants act on some sort of habit in wintertime, predominantly in the bedrooms and in the morning. In summer these habits dissipate due to very long window openings. Weather variables and indoor climate parameters, traditionally used as the basis for window opening behaviour models, are rather poor predictors of opening behaviour in winter. The incorporation of habits in window opening models can lead to more reliable predictions of window opening behaviour.

ISBN:9781510890022

Jaar van publicatie:2018

Toegankelijkheid:Closed