Insights into Space Heating User Behaviour from Surveys and Temperature Measurements in Single-Occupant Offices at the University of Canterbury

In naturally ventilated office buildings, occupants’ operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems has an impact on the building energy performance. A greater understanding of the behavioural aspects of energy use may provide opportunities to engineer the transition to resilient energy, achieve carbon emissions objectives, and operating cost targets, as well as to enhance comfort and productivity adaptability for the building occupants. Office worker space heating behaviour was assessed by surveys and temperature measurements in a field study at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Panel radiator use was monitored during thirteen consecutive working days under winter conditions with 122 heating degree-days (HDD at 18 °C). A survey of personal heating habits at the office and perceived control over the thermal environment assessed occupants’ adaptive behaviours for maintaining or recovering productivity and thermal comfort. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data analysis used in this study can be informative for future research about user behaviour in office settings. Identifying behavioural patterns of energy use on a per-case basis is necessary to allow occupant participation in the reduction of building energy consumption through targeted communication programmes.