Energy Consumption Difference Found between Typical and Standard Occupancy in Residential Buildings in a Tropical Developing Country

Abstract

Buildings are highly demanding of global energy consumption. Their functions, design, location, and other parameters influence the magnitude of such consumption. However, a key factor that can significantly change energy demand is the occupant’s interaction with the environment. It is, therefore, prudent to integrate the occupant profile within the six determinants of energy use, as proposed by the International Energy Agency. International standards propose an occupancy profile that has been implemented for design and performance analysis. However, these do not reflect reality, have little precision in their results, and affect occupant comfort and energy consumption expectations. To mitigate this problem, the literature proposes various methodologies to establish a mainly stochastic analysis offering optimal results. Panama, a country in the process of improving its energy matrix, finds it convenient to apply studies on the occupants’ behavior (OB) and preferences to guarantee comfort and avoid energy losses, supporting the purposes established in the National Energy Plan of Panama 2015–2050, guiding energy policy. This research seeks to define a particular pattern in occupants’ behavior in Panama through the analysis of surveys, identify its impact on energy consumption through dynamic simulation, and compare it with energy consumption generated by international standards. Results showed great differences in the energy consumption estimated via typical OB-based surveys and OB from standards, where the consumption by the latter can increase above 50%, while with surveys, this differs from the reference by no more than 11%.