Interaction effects of building technology and resident behavior on energy consumption in residential buildings

Buildings account for a significant portion of energy consumption and carbon emissions around the world and increasingly scholars and practitioners are re-thinking strategies that mitigate use. This paper reports an empirical study aimed at identifying the relationship between building technology and resident behavior and the joint effects on energy consumption in residential buildings. Unlike previous work that isolated effects of technology or behavior on energy consumption, this study investigates their interactions. The researchers collected technical and behavioral data from more than 300 residential units and performed data analysis using energy simulation and multivariate regression techniques. Results identify the interaction effects between building technology and resident behavior and provide quantifiable evidence supporting the hypothesis that building technology and resident behaviors interact with each other and ultimately affect home energy consumption. Findings indicate four important resident behaviors that directly correlate to energy consumption and two that indirectly correlate to energy consumption. The research also indicates that only 42% of technological advances directly contribute to home energy efficiency, suggesting that the achievable impact on energy savings depends on both technical advances and behavioral plasticity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.