Study on window-opening behavior of suburban sustainable life-pattern in residential buildings at Donglu town of Hezhou, China

Abstract

Window opening behavior is a crucial determinant of indoor thermal comfort and air quality. It plays an important role in accurate building performance simulations when it comes to regional contexts of climate. Few studies on window opening behavior have been carried out in suburban regions where window opening, as an adaptative adjustment, is more prevalent than in urban areas. To bridge this gap, this study based on questionnaire surveys and on-site measurements investigates the window opening behavior of suburban residents in bedrooms during the transitional season in Donglu town, China. The results indicate the duration of window opening exhibits a strong correlation with suburban residents' habits and occupations. The suburban residents tend to close their bedrooms' windows when leaving home, while they prefer opening them before going to sleep. A logistic regression model was developed for suburban household to predict the probability of window opening behavior. It has been evidenced that outdoor and indoor humidity, outdoor temperature, time periods and solar radiation intensity are strongly influencing on suburban residents' window opening and closing behaviors. In addition, due to the influence of continuous humid weather in transitional seasons, outdoor humidity is the principal factor that prompts residents to close their windows. Our findings contribute to further achieving novel knowledge on occupants’ interaction with suburban residential buildings.