Energy consumption simulations of rural residential buildings considering differences in energy use behavior among family members

The “average occupant” methodology is widely used in energy consumption simulations of residential buildings; however, it fails to consider the differences in energy use behavior among family members. Based on a field survey on the Central Shaanxi Plain, to identify the energy use behavior patterns of typical families, a stochastic energy use behavior model considering differences in energy use behavior among family members was proposed, to improve the accuracy of energy consumption simulations of residential buildings. The results indicated that the surveyed rural families could be classified into the following four types depending on specific energy use behavior patterns: families of one elderly couple, families of one middle-aged couple, families of one elderly couple and one child, and families of one couple and one child. Moreover, on typical summer days, the results of daily building energy consumption simulation obtained by the “average occupant” methodology were 25.39% and 28% lower than the simulation results obtained by the model proposed in this study for families of one elderly couple and families of one middle-aged couple, and 13.05% and 23.05% higher for families of one elderly couple and one child, and families of one couple and one child. On typical winter days, for the four types of families, the results of daily building energy consumption simulation obtained by the “average occupant” methodology were 21.69%, 10.84%, 1.21%, and 8.39% lower than the simulation results obtained by the model proposed in this study, respectively.