ValMoNuI – Validating and modeling user interaction

Aim

The adequate consideration of occupant behavior and the intuitive and robust operability of the building services systems are of key importance for energy-efficient building operation. This is why the project partners aimed at developing stochastic models of user behavior. Prototypes of these models should be implemented in a simulation environment in order to predict user behavior in buildings.

Methodology

The subtask handled by Fraunhofer IBP focuses on deriving the user typologies with regard to the operability of building services systems. Another focus is on a study of the interface for integrating the user behavior models into building simulation and building automation. To identify user typologies, the first cross-sectional study was conducted in the summer of 2016, and various clustering methods were tested. In addition, the different user behavior models proposed in the technical literature were integrated into the simulation environment. It is planned to conduct another cross-sectional study in the winter season and to statistically derive user groups by personal and building characteristics.

Result

Based on previous activities, the requirements to stochastic user behavior models were identified with regard to their application in the building simulation environment. The results were presented on the occasion of the Annex 66 meeting. In addition, Fraunhofer IBP researchers analyzed the range of temperature preferences depending on age, gender and BMI based on data supplied by test subjects.

Funding agency

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), ref. no. FKZ: 03ET1289C.