Azar, E (2014) A comprehensive framework to assess, model, and enhance the human role in conserving energy in commercial buildings. PhD thesis, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA.
Abstract
Energy conservation and sustainability are subjects of great interest today, especially in the commercial building sector which is witnessing a very high and growing demand for energy. Traditionally, efforts to reduce energy consumption in this sector consisted of researching and developing energy efficient building technologies and systems. On the other hand, recent studies indicate that human actions are major determinants of building energy performance and can lead to excessive energy use even in advanced low-energy buildings. As a result, it is essential to determine if the approach to future energy reduction initiatives should remain solely technology-focused, or if a human-focused approach is also needed to complement advancements in technology and improve building operation and performance. In practice, while technology-focused solutions have been extensively researched, promoted, and adopted in commercial buildings, research efforts on the role of human actions and energy use behaviors in energy conservation remain very limited. This study fills the missing gap in literature by presenting a comprehensive framework to (1) understand and quantify the influence of human actions on building energy performance, (2) model building occupants' energy use behaviors and account for potential changes in these behaviors over time, and (3) test and optimize different human-focused energy reduction interventions to increase their adoption in commercial buildings. Results are significant and prove that human actions have a major role to play in reducing the energy intensity of the commercial building sector. This sheds the light on the need for a shift in how people currently use and control different buildings systems, as this is crucial to ensure efficient building operation and to maximize the return on investment in energy-efficient technologies. Furthermore, this study proposes methods and tools that can be applied on any individual or groups of commercial buildings to evaluate the human impact on their energy performance. This is expected to boost research on the topic and promote the integration of human-focused interventions in large-scale energy reduction initiatives and policies. Finally, this dissertation presents a roadmap for the future challenges to energy conservation and the steps to take towards a more sustainable building sector and society.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Menassa, C C |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | commercial building; conservation; energy conservation; energy consumption; energy performance; energy use; integration; investment; sustainability; sustainable building |
| Index terms: | energy reduction, society, building operation, commercial building, sustainable building, integration, human impact, low-energy building, conservation, energy conservation, energy-efficient building, dissertation, energy performance, determinant, energy use, return on investment, energy consumption |
| Subjects: | organizational analysis, management, energy efficiency, energy systems, risk assessment, communities and social development, sustainable construction, sustainable design, economic analysis, environmental policy, environmental impact, construction type, research dissemination and communication |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Construction Technology, Risk Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here