ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 360
1.
Introduction
Building performance has been increasingly influenced by occupants with the advances in
building envelop technologies and increased efficiencies of building systems. Hence, studying
occupants and their implications have been garnering the attention of researchers and research
communities for the last two decades. Researchers and research communities were able to develop
several models and modelling techniques of occupants’ presence and behavior. Among these efforts
was Annex 66 by the International Energy Agency ‐ Energy in Buildings and Communities (IEA‐EBC)
titled “Definition and simulation of Occupants Behavior in Buildings” [1]. Annex 66 was a project
aimed at developing a standardized approach for modelling and analyzing energy‐related behaviors.
Despite the ongoing effort in the research communities, practitioners are yet to adopt the research
findings regarding occupant modelling. Building design stakeholders have been using the standard
code stated occupant modelling approach, which is simple, static and homogenous and does not
recognize the actual occupants’ impact on building design [2], [3]. Therefore, there has been a need to
bridge the gap between the research efforts and the current practice by design stakeholders with
regards to occupant‐related assumptions and occupant modelling. Bridging this knowledge and
practice gap requires a first deeper understanding of the current practice of communicating occupant‐
related data, barriers to improving current practice, and challenges of adopting new approaches.
To this end, this paper aims at providing an overview of the current communication and modelling
practice among design stakeholders. This paper also outlines a method for documenting and surveying
design stakeholders regarding occupant‐related assumptions.
1.1 Background
The design and construction of high‐performing buildings have been the focus of many research
communities with the globally growing interest in achieving efficiency in buildings to reduce Green
House Gases (GHG) emissions. Among these efforts, was the effort to address the gap between the
simulated and actual performance of buildings caused by different sources of uncertainty, such as
occupancy and occupant behavior[4]. Many studies were conducted to develop alternative, more
accurate modelling approach for occupant behavior. Researchers developed statistical models that
predict occupants’ interactions with various building components (e.g., electric lighting, operable
windows, thermostats, and window shades). Often, these models have been built upon longitudinal
data gathered from shared or private office spaces and homes using various sensing technologies such
as passive infrared motion detectors, and photo‐sensors. However, few studies were focused on
documenting and improving the design practice of representing and modelling occupants. For example,
O’Brien et al. [5] conducted an international survey of current practice regarding occupant modelling
in practice. The survey included 274 practitioners from all over the world. The results indicated that
practitioners use various occupant‐related assumptions that are oversimplifying reality. The results
also showed that the main reasons for not adopting a detailed modelling approach are lacking time and
understanding of the actual role of occupants in buildings. Abuimara et al. [6] hosted a design
stakeholders workshop at Carleton University, Canada, to document the current status of occupant
modelling and occupant role in the building design process. The workshop findings agreed with the
results of O’Brien et al. [5]. The participating stakeholders indicated that they rely mainly on code stated
occupant‐related inputs. They also highlighted that time and understanding of occupant roles as the
main barriers to adopt detailed modelling. However, the results also indicated that some participants
questioned whether a more detailed modelling approach would be necessary.
In addition to individual researchers’ efforts to document and develop occupant‐centric
building design, some collective efforts have been going on by groups of researchers from around the
globe. International Energy Agency (IEA)‐ Energy in Building and Communities (EBC)‐ Annex 66,
which was dedicated to the definition and simulation of occupants in buildings. In its final report,
recommendations were made to investigate further and develop the current occupant modelling
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