The Impact of Residents' Behaviour on the Energy Consumption of Buildings: A Case study of Residential Building in Guelma, Algeria

Abstract

Since the beginning of this century, energy consumption has grown rapidly in various regions around the world. It seems that energy consumption will continue to increase, partly due to economic growth and partly due to an increase in per capita energy consumption. Since the implementation of the first energy-saving measures, the issue of energy efficiency in buildings has always been at the heart of energy and climate policies, whether at the European, national or local level. In this context, this article is organized into parts, starting with an introduction that summarizes the situation and then the methodology that attempts to examine the energy efficiency of buildings by taking into account the synergy between urban planning and occupant behaviour through a questionnaire. So, the question that arises is how can energy consumption in residential buildings be influenced by occupant behaviour. Among the constraints that we found in this work were the gaps in the information and the subjectivity of the answers obtained by the occupants. The main results show a significant impact of occupant behavior on energy consumption. After a questionnaire on 20 dwellings, we obtained answers on the equipment used in all the dwellings. Then, we made a provisional calculation of the consumption according to the days and times that the occupants were present in their homes. Finally, energy efficiency offers governments and communities a cost-effective way to achieve a variety of goals, such as reduced energy consumption, lower emissions, financial savings, energy security, and positive health impacts.