Impact of Window-to-Wall Ratio on Heating Demand and Thermal Comfort When Considering a Variety of Occupant Behavior Profiles

Abstract

Energy consumption and thermal comfort in residential buildings are highly influenced by occupant behavior, which exhibits a high level of day-to-day and dwelling-to-dwelling variance. Although occupant behavior stochastic models have been developed in the past, the analysis or selection of a building design parameter is typically based on simulations that use a single “average” occupant behavior schedule which does not account for all possible profiles. The objective of this study is to enhance the understanding of how window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of a residential unit affects heating demand and thermal comfort when considering occupant behavior diversity through a parametric analysis. To do so, a stochastic occupant behavior model generates a high number of possible profiles, which are then used as input in an energy simulation of the dwelling. As a result, one obtains probability distributions of energy consumption and comfort for different WWR values. The paper shows that the shape of the probability distributions is affected by WWR and dwelling orientation, and that the influence of different occupant behavior aspects on performance also varies with WWR. This work could help designers to better assess the impact of WWR for a large spectrum of possible occupant behavior profiles.

Linking Occupant Behavior and Window Design through Post-Occupancy Evaluation: Enhancing Natural Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality

“…Then, to predict the probability of an action being taken by an occupant, the relationship between the potential action and the factors influencing its performance needed to be considered. Indoor and outdoor temperatures, as well as wind, all affect the likelihood of opening a window by an occupant [71].…”