In-Depth Analysis Based on Occupant Behaviour: A Support-Decision Method for Energy-Efficient Retrofitting of 20th Century Buildings

Abstract

Several researches have demonstrated the capacity of dynamic energy simulations to accurately assess the energy performance of buildings. These studies have identified the performance gap between standard occupant behaviour models, based on conventional patterns, and the genuine energy consumption.This article aims at proposing an in-depth analysis methodology based on post-occupancy behavioural energy assessment. After demonstrating the interest and impact of the occupancy variable on the implementation of dynamic energy simulation processes, this paper proposes two survey campaigns carried out with residents of a social housing operation in the Vieille Motte district of Neuville-en-Ferrain in northern France. One aimed to shed light on residents’ habits in order to include diagnostic profiles in the simulations; the second aimed at estimating the residents’ satisfaction levels with regard to the proposed intervention measures. The first survey allowed us to quantify the impact of residents’ behaviour on the energy performance in the dwellings studied and to propose a decision support tool for strategic interventions on a case-by-case basis. The second campaign allowed us to support the inhabitants towards eco-responsible housing practices and to improve the acceptability of the proposed methodology here called “Rehabilitation 2.0”.