A biophysical approach to the performance diagnosis of human–building energy interaction: Information (bits) modeling, algorithm, and indicators of energy flow complexity

Abstract

This article addresses the utmost upstream impacts of human–building energy interaction by proposing a network-based model, algorithms, and indicators. Hypothesizing that human behavior is a key factor for the symbiotic development of building and the geobiosphere system, the author seeks emergy (spelled with an “m”)-information integrated measures to indicate dynamic system-level performance of the interaction with building energy flow topology. To validate the hypothesis and methods, four representative building cases were tested on the building form (envelope) of (i) a building with no occupant intervention (baseline), (ii) a building controlled by responsive human behavior (bioclimatic adaptation), (iii) a building with reinforced insulation and behavior-dominated control (passive design), and (iv) a net-zero energy building (NZEB). The results demonstrate that adaptive human behavior in building operation increases the information content and complexity of energy-flow networking, improving performance and sustainability. Findings also reveal that increasing information, complexity, and power (energy availability over time) parallel the general energetic features of developing biophysical systems (greater feedback, internalization, and recycling of materials and energies). It becames clear that active behavioral response is a dominant agent of sustainable environments even on a far broader system scale.