Introducing thermal comfort attitudes, psychological, social and contextual drivers in occupant behaviour modelling with Bayesian Networks

Verena M. Barthelmes, Rune K. Andersen, Yeonsook Heo, Henrik Knudsen, Valentina Fabi, Stefano P. Corgnati

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The acknowledgment of occupant behaviour as a key driver of uncertainty in building energy analysis is today well established. Existing literature highlights the need of carefully addressing human-related interactions with the building envelope and systems. In response to this need, researchers have proposed a number of stochastic models that aim at reflecting occupant behaviour patterns in building energy simulation to bridge the gap between simulated and real energy consumptions in buildings. However, most proposed approaches for modelling occupant behaviour consider time-related factors and physical parameters such as indoor or outdoor environmental variables while less attention is paid to other influential factors such as psychological, social and contextual drivers or individual thermal comfort attitudes and preferences of the occupants. To understand occupant behaviour in a comprehensive manner, these factors should be carefully addressed in upcoming occupant behaviour models. The Bayesian Network framework presents a promising environment for hierarchically and flexibly structuring a large number of explanatory variables that drive the occupant to perform a certain action. This paper describes the development of a theoretical model of occupant's window control behaviour with an extensive set of drivers and highlights the capability and usability of Bayesian Networks to develop such models based on field measurements and information collected through surveys compiled by the building occupants.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of 10th Windsor Conference
Subtitle of host publicationRethinking Comfort
EditorsFergus Nicol, Susan Roaf, Luisa Brotas, Michael A. Humphreys
PublisherNCEUB 2018
Pages972-988
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9780992895785
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes
Event10th International Windsor Conference 2018: Rethinking Comfort - Windsor, United Kingdom
Duration: 2018 Apr 122018 Apr 15

Publication series

NameProceedings of 10th Windsor Conference: Rethinking Comfort

Conference

Conference10th International Windsor Conference 2018: Rethinking Comfort
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityWindsor
Period18/4/1218/4/15

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was part of the UserTEC project (User Practices, Technologies and Residential Energy Consumption) (www.sbi.dk/usertec), which was financed by Innovation Fond Denmark.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Proceedings of 10th Windsor Conference: Rethinking Comfort.

Keywords

  • Bayesian Networks
  • Occupant behaviour
  • Residential buildings
  • Window control behaviour

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science (miscellaneous)

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