Reducing Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings: The Impacts of Occupant Behaviour and Engaging Control Systems

In Canada, buildings account for 35% of energy consumption and hold the largest opportunity for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Occupant engagement poses one of the best solutions to reducing building energy consumption, with studies showing annual energy consumption can vary by up to 150% between active and passive occupants. In this thesis, an occupant-in-the-loop smart home energy system is designed and tested to explore how such systems can reduce building energy consumption through automation and occupant engagement. Simulation studies and a 125-participant survey were conducted to understand how to engage occupants to take action and their impact on home energy consumption. Insights from these studies were used to develop the smart home control system and reinforce design decisions. Testing results show 250 kWh of plug-load energy reduction and reinforce this projects conclusion that occupant-in-the-loop smart home energy systems can provide energy savings and increased occupant energy awareness/engagement.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Engineering, Sustainable Energy

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Hicks, Andrew Gordon

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2018 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2018-13175

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/38821