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What have residents got to do with it? : Variations in energy use and energy-related behaviours in single-family houses

Hiller, Carolina LU (2020) In Report TVBH-1023
Abstract
To achieve global energy goals, energy use in residential buildings must decrease. The implementation of technical measures is crucial but alone it is not sufficient; residents need to change their behaviour as well. However, households are not a homogeneous group in terms of their energy use and behaviour; rather, the use varies between households and over time. To promote energy savings in buildings, these variations need to be explored. The main objectives of this thesis were therefore to examine how energy use in single-family houses varied and how energy-related behaviours of households influenced the use of energy. The examined energy variations included changes over time, differences between households and variations of energy use... (More)
To achieve global energy goals, energy use in residential buildings must decrease. The implementation of technical measures is crucial but alone it is not sufficient; residents need to change their behaviour as well. However, households are not a homogeneous group in terms of their energy use and behaviour; rather, the use varies between households and over time. To promote energy savings in buildings, these variations need to be explored. The main objectives of this thesis were therefore to examine how energy use in single-family houses varied and how energy-related behaviours of households influenced the use of energy. The examined energy variations included changes over time, differences between households and variations of energy use throughout the day. The impact on these variations from the residents' activities and everyday behaviours was studied as well. A partially multidisciplinary approach was employed, whereby the following methods were combined: energy data analyses with interviews, energy performance measurements with calculations, and time-use diaries with energy measurements. A literature review was also conducted. The participating households lived in electrically heated, detached, single-family houses, built in Sweden in the 1980s. The residences spanned three different housing areas, each of which encompassed similar houses.

The thesis showed that on an aggregated level, the energy use was stable over years of occupancy. An individual household's energy usage could, however, both increase and decrease over time, depending on several activities occurring over the years. On a group level, the daily electricity load curves differed between weekdays and weekend days, with clear power peaks in the morning and evening on weekdays. That is, during these peak hours the households contributed to potential power deficits in the energy system. Large differences between similar houses' energy use were demonstrated, similar to findings in other research. Differences of a factor of two to three between the highest and lowest energy usages were discovered; for water use, the differences were even greater, namely a factor of six.

The studies found that there were many ways to be a high or a low consumer. That is, most of the households exhibited a range of different energy-related behaviours contributing to their energy use. In addition, there was a spread between households in how long they performed various activities. Moreover, the thesis showed a parallel use of electronic devices of the same type, which meant that each household member owned their own set of devices, potentially leading to an increased use of electricity at the household level.

The findings in the thesis are of value when measures are designed to encourage residents to save energy and reduce power peaks. By field measurements, the empirical studies provided technical and resident-related information that is useful when estimating and verifying energy use of buildings. Additionally, the thesis contributed to the field of multidisciplinary research on household energy use as both technical and social perspectives were in focus – an approach that not only attempted to measure actual energy data, but also to reveal the behaviours that were concealed behind the data.
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Abstract (Swedish)
Trots likadana tekniska förutsättningar visade den aktuella avhandlingen på att energianvändningen varierade stort mellan hushåll – vilket även tidigare forskning pekat på. Det skiljde en faktor två till tre mellan högsta och lägsta energianvändningen för de grupper av likadana hus som studerades. Skillnaden i vattenanvändning var ännu större, nämnare bestämt en faktor sex. De boendes val och vardagliga beteende i bostaden har betydelse för dessa skillnader. Syftet med avhandlingen handlade just om att undersöka hur energianvändningen i småhus varierar och hur hushållens energirelaterade beteende påverkar användningen.

Avhandlingen visade vidare att det inte bara fanns ett sätt att vara en typisk hög- respektive lågförbrukare.... (More)
Trots likadana tekniska förutsättningar visade den aktuella avhandlingen på att energianvändningen varierade stort mellan hushåll – vilket även tidigare forskning pekat på. Det skiljde en faktor två till tre mellan högsta och lägsta energianvändningen för de grupper av likadana hus som studerades. Skillnaden i vattenanvändning var ännu större, nämnare bestämt en faktor sex. De boendes val och vardagliga beteende i bostaden har betydelse för dessa skillnader. Syftet med avhandlingen handlade just om att undersöka hur energianvändningen i småhus varierar och hur hushållens energirelaterade beteende påverkar användningen.

Avhandlingen visade vidare att det inte bara fanns ett sätt att vara en typisk hög- respektive lågförbrukare. Hushållen uppvisade en blandning av olika energirelaterade beteenden som sammantaget bidrog till hushållens energianvändning. Samma hushåll kunde utföra såväl "energisparande" som "energislösande" aktiviteter, det vill säga deras agerande var inte konsekvent när det gäller energipåverkan. Avseende energislösande aktiviteter fanns det dock en benägenhet till lång tidsanvändning för aktiviteter relaterade till elektriska apparater. Flera apparater, såsom TV och datorer, var dessutom påslagna samtidigt i hushållen, vilket innebar att varje hushållsmedlem tenderade att inneha och använda sin egen uppsättning apparater istället för att dela dessa med varandra. Därtill var datorer påslagna under längre perioder utan att användas, mest troligt i standby. Med en ökad användning av elektriska apparater finns en risk att de energieffektiviseringar som görs inte leder till förväntade besparingar av energianvändningen.

För att minska belastningen på elnätet har det betydelse när på dygnet energianvändningen sker. Studierna visade att energianvändningen varierade stort över dagen, där många hushåll främst använde el på morgonen respektive på kvällen under vardagar. På gruppnivå blev dessa eleffekttoppar påtagliga, samtidigt som andra samhällsfunktioner och energiintensiva industrier belastar elnätet.

Tittar man istället över ett längre tidsperspektiv, såsom under ett tiotal år, fanns det inte i dessa studier någon tendens på gruppnivå att energianvändningen ökade med tiden, vilket man sett i tidigare uppföljningar av lågenergihus. Däremot för enskilda hus kunde man se både upp- och nedgångar från ett år till ett annat och de boende beskrev även flera saker som kan ha påverkat energianvändningen på olika sätt över åren, inte minst förändringar i familjesammansättningen. Att våra hus bibehåller sin energiprestanda över åren är ett bra tecken.

Bostäder och lokaler står för en stor del av Sveriges totala energianvändning. För att minska klimatpåverkan från våra bostäder krävs både tekniska förändringar såväl som förändringar i vårt beteende. Forskningen om hur energianvändning och beteende varierar på olika sätt, som mellan olika hushåll, är värdefull kunskap för att utveckla åtgärder som syftar till att främja energibesparingar, minska effekttoppar och uppmuntra till energisparande beteende.

Studierna i denna avhandling har genomförts genom ett tvärvetenskapligt tillvägagångssätt, vilket betyder att både tekniska och samhällsvetenskapliga metoder och perspektiv har beaktats för att få en bättre förståelse för såväl energianvändningen som de boendes beteenden. Olika metoder har kombinerats såsom energidataanalyser med intervjuer, energiprestandamätningar med beräkningar, och tidsdagböcker med energimätningar. I studierna deltog hushåll som bodde i eluppvärmda friliggande småhus, med normal energiprestanda. Husen byggdes under 1980-talet och i tre olika husområden, där det inom varje husområden var likadana hus. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof. Karlsson, Björn, University of Gävle, Gävle.
organization
alternative title
Vad har boende med saken att göra? : – Variationer i energianvändning och energirelaterat beteende i småhus
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
energy use variations, energy-related behaviour, single-family houses, households, residents, multi-disciplinary, field measurements, times-use diaries, energy use over time, load curves, power peaks, energy measurements, residential houses
in
Report TVBH-1023
pages
235 pages
publisher
Byggnadsfysik LTH, Lunds Tekniska Högskola
defense location
Lecture hall V:A, building V, John Ericssons väg 1, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund. Join via Zoom: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/63102376529
defense date
2020-10-01 10:15:00
ISSN
0349-4950
ISBN
978-91-88722-67-6
978-91-88722-66-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5f19c25d-9912-4e3d-9ac8-638120e1c625
date added to LUP
2020-08-19 12:54:05
date last changed
2023-11-14 14:37:33
@phdthesis{5f19c25d-9912-4e3d-9ac8-638120e1c625,
  abstract     = {{To achieve global energy goals, energy use in residential buildings must decrease. The implementation of technical measures is crucial but alone it is not sufficient; residents need to change their behaviour as well. However, households are not a homogeneous group in terms of their energy use and behaviour; rather, the use varies between households and over time. To promote energy savings in buildings, these variations need to be explored. The main objectives of this thesis were therefore to examine how energy use in single-family houses varied and how energy-related behaviours of households influenced the use of energy. The examined energy variations included changes over time, differences between households and variations of energy use throughout the day. The impact on these variations from the residents' activities and everyday behaviours was studied as well. A partially multidisciplinary approach was employed, whereby the following methods were combined: energy data analyses with interviews, energy performance measurements with calculations, and time-use diaries with energy measurements. A literature review was also conducted. The participating households lived in electrically heated, detached, single-family houses, built in Sweden in the 1980s. The residences spanned three different housing areas, each of which encompassed similar houses.<br/><br/>The thesis showed that on an aggregated level, the energy use was stable over years of occupancy. An individual household's energy usage could, however, both increase and decrease over time, depending on several activities occurring over the years. On a group level, the daily electricity load curves differed between weekdays and weekend days, with clear power peaks in the morning and evening on weekdays. That is, during these peak hours the households contributed to potential power deficits in the energy system. Large differences between similar houses' energy use were demonstrated, similar to findings in other research. Differences of a factor of two to three between the highest and lowest energy usages were discovered; for water use, the differences were even greater, namely a factor of six. <br/><br/>The studies found that there were many ways to be a high or a low consumer. That is, most of the households exhibited a range of different energy-related behaviours contributing to their energy use. In addition, there was a spread between households in how long they performed various activities. Moreover, the thesis showed a parallel use of electronic devices of the same type, which meant that each household member owned their own set of devices, potentially leading to an increased use of electricity at the household level.<br/><br/>The findings in the thesis are of value when measures are designed to encourage residents to save energy and reduce power peaks. By field measurements, the empirical studies provided technical and resident-related information that is useful when estimating and verifying energy use of buildings. Additionally, the thesis contributed to the field of multidisciplinary research on household energy use as both technical and social perspectives were in focus – an approach that not only attempted to measure actual energy data, but also to reveal the behaviours that were concealed behind the data.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Hiller, Carolina}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-88722-67-6}},
  issn         = {{0349-4950}},
  keywords     = {{energy use variations; energy-related behaviour; single-family houses; households; residents; multi-disciplinary; field measurements; times-use diaries; energy use over time; load curves; power peaks; energy measurements; residential houses}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Byggnadsfysik LTH, Lunds Tekniska Högskola}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Report TVBH-1023}},
  title        = {{What have residents got to do with it? : Variations in energy use and energy-related behaviours in single-family houses}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/88309707/Doctoral_thesis_Carolina_Hiller_2020.pdf}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}