An Analysis of Energy Consumption and Occupant Behaviour of an Academic Building

Buildings are responsible for approximately half of the total UK CO2 emissions and UK universities are amongst the most significant consumers of energy. A pilot study was undertaken to analyse the relationship between the energy demand profiles and user activities to ascertain the performance of a university building in terms of electrical consumption. Some of these activities include an understanding of the continuous and stand by electrical appliances in use, the usage of lighting, and the usage of meeting and class rooms and the building management strategy.

Half-hourly electrical demand data for the case-study building was gathered through a data logger and provided by the university estates department. An online questionnaire was designed and circulated to members of staff and students to understand energy consumption patterns. A face to face interview was also carried out with the building manager to gain insight into how the building is managed on a daily basis.

It was found that the building was mostly controlled by a building management system (BMS) and that occupant control was mainly restricted to the use of localised lighting control, personal computers/printers and some of the kitchen appliances. The shape and magnitude of energy demand profiles shows a significant trend which does not seem to be strongly connected to occupancy patterns. Obtaining good information is often the crucial factor in determining the quality of a design. The outcomes of this work should provide a base to further develop a robust model that incorporates factors such as human behaviour aspects to predict energy consumption.