What are the right questions that a designer should ask themselves, in order to integrate user behavior into the design and effective management of buildings?
It is important to think about how occupants will interact with the space. This means they must integrate behaviors into energy simulation tools and take everyday experiences into account. For example, sensors placed in the wrong places can lead users to ineffective actions, such as covering them to prevent the lights from going out. A good intention to save energy here leads to a worse result than if the system had not been installed at all. Additionally, grid operators and real estate portfolio managers need to consider how building energy demand can be adjusted to better match energy supply as we introduce more renewable energy into the grid. Understanding occupancy levels in a building, neighborhood or city helps design more occupant-centric demand flexibility measures.
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