Household energy consumption: a study of the role of occupants

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.