Energy consumption characteristics and influential use behaviors in university dormitory buildings in China's hot summer-cold winter climate region

Abstract

In building energy research, there is a lack of behavioral models for understanding energy consumption of large apartment buildings. This study aims to understand energy use characteristics and influential behavioral factors in the dormitory buildings, a type of large apartment buildings with dense occupancy condition. The study collected the monthly electricity data of 620 rooms within two large dormitory buildings in a university campus located in the hot summer-cold winter climate region for two consecutive years (2018–2019) and administered a questionnaire survey concerning the usage of three common domestic appliances: computer, electric water heating, and air conditioning. Based on a hierarchical multiple regression model, these behaviors accounted for 74.8% and 73.1% of electricity consumption in the years of 2018 and 2019, respectively. Significant differences were found for different genders, floors, and room orientations. Male students consumed more electricity due to a more frequent use of computers; lower floors were more energy intensive due to poorer environmental conditions; south-facing rooms consumed more electricity in summer while north-facing rooms consumed more electricity in winter. This study provides a validated behavioral model for devising potential energy saving measures and also proposes effective strategies for designing and managing the dormitory buildings in the hot summer-cold winter climate region.