Development of integrated occupant-behavioural stochastic model including the fan use in Japanese dwellings

Abstract

Thermal environmental adjustment is one of the most important behaviours. In our daily life, we use some behavioural adjustments for thermal comfort such as fan use. The occupant-behavioural stochastic models were proposed by some previous studies. However, the relative proportion of each behaviour has not yet been fully understood. It is important to make it possible to estimate the proportion of each behaviour relatively because how one or more behaviours is determined in relation to each others. In our previous study, the stochastic models of window open/closed, cooling and heating use were integrated in one model and thereby one holistic model was made. The integrated fan use model is useful for understanding the occupant behaviour. The objective of this study is to clarify the fan use in relation to the window open and cooling use. For this purpose, the occupant behaviour surveys were conducted in 120 dwellings during a four-year period in Kanto region of Japan. From this survey, we have collected 36,114 responses. The major findings are: 1) the proportion of fan use was highest in summer; 2) the stochastic model of fan use was explained by outdoor air temperature, and the combined stochastic model of “fan use” and “window opening or cooling use” were developed; and 3) the proportion of the “combined fan use” was higher than that of “fan single use”. The results indicated that the residents in Japanese dwellings often use fans with window opening or cooling use, and thus it is important to clarify the fan use behaviour as “combined pattern”. The knowledge of this research can be used in building thermal simulation reflecting realistic occupant behaviour.