Analysis on occupant behavior of split air conditioner in hotel buildings in the Yangze River Region

Abstract

The split air conditioner is commonly used in hotel buildings because of its flexible function. However, there are some differences in occupant behavior (OB) regarding the usage of split and central air conditioner systems, so that more targeted studies are needed. Based on data recorded from 104 air conditioners in 13 hotels in 5 cities from March to July, this study analyzed OB in split air conditioner usages in hotel buildings. An OB model of air conditioner usage in hotels was established by the Monte Carlo stochastic model and the Markov chain method (MCM). Analysis of the results show that 58.0% of occupants turn on the air conditioner within 2 min of entering their room, and that probability is affected by room temperature. By simulating the OB model in DeST, the air conditioning energy consumption index of hotel buildings was found to be 12.6 kWh/m2, which is 41.4% lower than the normal method of usage.