Energy-efficiency impacts of an air-quality feedback device in residential buildings: An agent-based modeling assessment

Authored by Emile J L Chappin, Georg Holtz, Thorben Jensen, Carolin Baedeker

Date Published: 2016

DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.11.067

Sponsors: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Platforms: Repast Java

Model Documentation: ODD Flow charts

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

A key factor to energy-efficiency of heating in buildings is the behavior of households, in particular how they ventilate rooms. Energy demand can be reduced by behavioral change; devices can support this by giving feedback to consumers on their behavior. One such feedback device, called the `CO2 meter', shows indoor air-quality in the colors of a traffic light to motivate so called `shock ventilation', which is energy efficient ventilation behavior. The following effects of the `CO2 meter' are analyzed: (1) the effect of the device on ventilation behavior within households, (2) the diffusion of `CO2 meter' to other households, and (3) the diffusion of changed behavior to households that do not adopt a `CO2 meter'. An agent-based model of these processes for the city of Bottrop (Germany) was developed using a variety of data sources. The model shows that the `CO2 meter' would increase adoption of energy-efficient ventilation by c. 12\% and reduce heating demand by c. 1\% within 15 years. Technology diffusion was found to explain at least c. 54\% of the estimated energy savings; behavior diffusion explains up to 46\%. These findings indicate that the `CO2 meter' is an interesting low-cost solution to increase the energy-efficiency in residential heating. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tags

behavior information Interventions Ventilation Consumption Social-influence Occupancy Savings