@article {30489, title = {A Library of Building Occupant Behaviour Models Represented in a Standardised Schema}, journal = {Energy Efficiency}, year = {2018}, abstract = {

Over the past four decades, a substantial body of literature has explored the impacts of occupant behaviour (OB) on building technologies, operation, and energy consumption. A large number of data-driven behavioural models have been developed based on field data. These models lack standardisation and consistency, leading to difficulties in applications and comparison. To address this problem, an ontology was developed using the drivers-needs-actions-systems (DNAS) framework. Recent work has been carried out to implement the theoretical DNAS framework into an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema, titled {\textquoteleft}occupant behaviour XML{\textquoteright} (obXML) which is a practical implementation of OB models that can be integrated into building performance simulation (BPS) programs. This paper presents a newly developed library of OB models represented in the standardised obXML schema format. This library provides ready-to-use examples for BPS users to employ more accurate occupant representation in their energy models. The library, which contains an initial effort of 52 OB models, was made publicly available for the BPS community. As part of the library development process, limitations of the obXML schema were identified and addressed, and future improvements were proposed. Authors hope that by compiling this library building, energy modellers from all over the world can enhance their BPS models by integrating more accurate and robust OB patterns.

}, keywords = {building performance simulation, obXML, Occupant Behaviour, occupant behaviour model, XML schema}, doi = {10.1007/s12053-018-9658-0}, author = {Zsofia Belafi and Tianzhen Hong and Andras Reith} } @article {60959, title = {An Ontology to Represent Energy-Related Occupant Behavior in Buildings. Part II: Implementation of the DNAS framework using an XML schema}, journal = {Building and Environment}, volume = {94}, year = {2015}, month = {08/2015}, pages = {196-205}, abstract = {

Energy-related occupant behavior in buildings is difficult to define and quantify, yet critical to our understanding of total building energy consumption. Part I of this two-part paper introduced the DNAS (Drivers, Needs, Actions and Systems) framework, to standardize the description of energy-related occupant behavior in buildings. Part II of this paper implements the DNAS framework into an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema, titled {\textquoteleft}occupant behavior XML{\textquoteright} (obXML). The obXML schema is used for the practical implementation of the DNAS framework into building simulation tools. The topology of the DNAS framework implemented in the obXML schema has a main root element OccupantBehavior, linking three main elements representing Buildings, Occupants and Behaviors. Using the schema structure, the actions of turning on an air conditioner and closing blinds provide two examples of how the schema standardizes these actions using XML. The obXML schema has inherent flexibility to represent numerous, diverse and complex types of occupant behaviors in buildings, and it can also be expanded to encompass new types of behaviors. The implementation of the DNAS framework into the obXML schema will facilitate the development of occupant information modeling (OIM) by providing interoperability between occupant behavior models and building energy modeling programs.

}, keywords = {building energy consumption, building simulation, energy modeling, obXML, occupant behavior, XML schema}, doi = {10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.08.006}, author = {Tianzhen Hong and Simona D{\textquoteright}Oca and Sarah C. Taylor-Lange and William J. N. Turner and Yixing Chen and Stefano P. Corgnati} } @article {59963, title = {A Technical Framework to Describe Occupant Behavior for Building Energy Simulations}, year = {2014}, abstract = {

Green buildings that fail to meet expected design performance criteria indicate that technology alone does not guarantee high performance. Human influences are quite often simplified and ignored in the design, construction, and operation of buildings. Energy-conscious human behavior has been demonstrated to be a significant positive factor for improving the indoor environment while reducing the energy use of buildings. In our study we developed a new technical framework to describe energy-related human behavior in buildings. The energy-related behavior includes accounting for individuals and groups of occupants and their interactions with building energy services systems, appliances and facilities. The technical framework consists of four key components:

  1. the drivers behind energy-related occupant behavior, which are biological, societal, environmental, physical, and economical in nature
  2. the needs of the occupants are based on satisfying criteria that are either physical (e.g. thermal, visual and acoustic comfort) or non-physical (e.g. entertainment, privacy, and social reward)
  3. the actions that building occupants perform when their needs are not fulfilled
  4. the systems with which an occupant can interact to satisfy their needs

The technical framework aims to provide a standardized description of a complete set of human energy-related behaviors in the form of an XML schema. For each type of behavior (e.g., occupants opening/closing windows, switching on/off lights etc.) we identify a set of common behaviors based on a literature review, survey data, and our own field study and analysis. Stochastic models are adopted or developed for each type of behavior to enable the evaluation of the impact of human behavior on energy use in buildings, during either the design or operation phase. We will also demonstrate the use of the technical framework in assessing the impact of occupancy behavior on energy saving technologies. The technical framework presented is part of our human behavior research, a 5-year program under the U.S. - China Clean Energy Research Center for Building Energy Efficiency.

}, keywords = {building simulation, energy efficiency, framework, occupant behavior, XML schema}, author = {William J. N. Turner and Tianzhen Hong} }