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Human-in-the-Loop Technologies for Occupant Centric Building Control

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 7412

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: occupant behavior; occupant modelling; buildings’ monitoring; energy flexibility; energy efficient buildings; thermal comfort

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Interests: smart buildings and cities; renewable energy systems; control systems for zero emission building operations; machine learning and artificial intelligence for the built environment; complex fenestration systems and the influence of building occupants on energy performance
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Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: indoor air quality; thermal comfort; occupant behavior; buildings’ monitoring; energy performance of buildings; heating; cooling; ventilation systems; air cleaning; personalized systems; wearable devices for heating-cooling; measurements of indoor environmental quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While technology progress allows buildings to use more efficient mechanical and electrical devices, and to be constructed with improved insulation, the control of buildings becomes more complex and challenging for occupants, and as a result, comfort conditions are often not achieved. Not surprisingly, unsatisfied occupants are common even in new and retrofitted buildings.

Moreover, the impact of occupants and their actions may strongly affect the energy performance of buildings, e.g., through rebound effects, and hence jeopardise our efforts to increase the efficiency of the building stock.

Finally, the integration of renewable energy sources for heating, cooling, and ventilation calls for advanced control approaches in buildings, e.g., predictive and learning-based, and the real needs of the occupants become even more important, while misuse of the system has to be avoided.

One fundamental research question also addressed within the IEA EBC Annex 79 (occupant-centric building design and operation) is related to the integration of occupants and their actual needs into the control loop of buildings. How can we let occupants easily control the indoor environment, and reach the required comfort? How can occupants’ actual needs be integrated into the control loop, while efficiently controlling and maximising the usage of renewable energy sources in buildings?

The answers to these questions call for a paradigm shift, from “set-point-based” manual control to “perception-based”, human-in-the-loop control of buildings.

The objective of this Special Issue is to bring together new and leading works that address this novel paradigm for indoor climate control and energy management in buildings. We invite papers that address challenges in the human-in-the-loop paradigm. Both simulation and hardware implementation studies are of interest.

Dr. Davide Calì
Prof. Dr. Zoltan Nagy
Prof. Bjarne W. Olesen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Feedback-based indoor climate control
  • Human-in-the-loop
  • Buildings and HVAC control
  • Perception-based control
  • Dynamic comfort
  • Occupants’ tracing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2924 KiB  
Article
Revisiting Home Heat Control Theories through a UK Care Home Field Trial
by Victoria Aragon, Patrick James and Stephanie Gauthier
Energies 2022, 15(14), 4990; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144990 - 7 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1510
Abstract
Smart heating controls are being introduced in the domestic sector with the aim of reducing heating demand in buildings. However, the impact of controls on heat demand is not fully understood. This study set out to add empirical evidence to Kempton’s theory on [...] Read more.
Smart heating controls are being introduced in the domestic sector with the aim of reducing heating demand in buildings. However, the impact of controls on heat demand is not fully understood. This study set out to add empirical evidence to Kempton’s theory on mental models of home heat controls. With this purpose, radiator setpoint records from smart thermostatic valves in 47 flats from a care home in the South of England were evaluated over a 12-month period. Three types of households were identified: (i) low interactors who do not have interaction, or have minimal interaction, with the controls (24.5%); (ii) medium interactors who adjust their setpoint when the outdoor temperature changes and whose behavior is comparable to households that have a “feedback” mental model (49%); and (iii) high interactors who adjust the setpoint based on their own strategy, which does not necessarily follow outdoor temperature changes and reflects a lack of understanding of how the controls work (26.5%). These results highlight the contrast between expected and actual usage of home heat controls, as only half of the residents showed a behavior that is consistent with the principles of operation of the STVs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-in-the-Loop Technologies for Occupant Centric Building Control)
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28 pages, 8781 KiB  
Article
Collection and Utilization of Indoor Environmental Quality Information Using Affordable Image Sensing Technology
by Joosang Lee, Deok-Oh Woo, Jihoon Jang, Lars Junghans and Seung-Bok Leigh
Energies 2022, 15(3), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15030921 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2103
Abstract
Incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology into the operation of buildings is expected to generate immense synergy, thereby saving energy and improving occupant comfort by overcoming the limitations of the existing system. Preventing operations in the absence of occupants can save energy, and [...] Read more.
Incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology into the operation of buildings is expected to generate immense synergy, thereby saving energy and improving occupant comfort by overcoming the limitations of the existing system. Preventing operations in the absence of occupants can save energy, and the occupants’ preferred operating temperature should be used as the control set-point rather than the nominal temperature. In this study, IoT technology and image sensors are used to rapidly detect indoor environment changes, and a method is proposed to utilize air quality and thermal comfort as the control set-points. A real-time ventilation control algorithm is proposed based on the CO2 concentration calculated according to the number of occupants. To check the thermal comfort level, the real-time operating temperature estimated from the surface temperature data of the infrared array sensor is reflected in the comfort zone defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The deficiencies in indoor environment conditions caused by the temporal and spatial lag of sensors in the old system are minimized using IoT technology, which also facilitates wireless communications. The image sensors can be used for multiple purposes based on various interpretations of the image information obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-in-the-Loop Technologies for Occupant Centric Building Control)
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18 pages, 3658 KiB  
Article
An Occupant-Centric Theory of Building Control Systems and Their User Interfaces
by Ardeshir Mahdavi, Helene Teufl and Christiane Berger
Energies 2021, 14(16), 4788; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14164788 - 6 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2626
Abstract
This paper presents an occupant-centric theory of buildings’ indoor-environmental control systems and their user interfaces. Buildings typically can have multiple devices and systems to maintain indoor-environmental conditions within certain ranges in order to meet occupants’ health and comfort requirements. Therefore, it is important [...] Read more.
This paper presents an occupant-centric theory of buildings’ indoor-environmental control systems and their user interfaces. Buildings typically can have multiple devices and systems to maintain indoor-environmental conditions within certain ranges in order to meet occupants’ health and comfort requirements. Therefore, it is important to understand what those ranges are exactly, who defines them, and for whom. Health and comfort sciences offer some broad directions concerning desirable indoor conditions. These are typically formulated in various codes, standards, and guidelines in terms of target values or the set points of control variables. However, preferable conditions may differ at different times and for different individuals. Another question concerns the agency responsible for maintaining the preferred conditions. In some settings, conditions may be centrally controlled via the buildings’ automation systems, whereas in other settings, occupants might have the possibility to control their immediate surroundings. Given these qualifications, the objective of the present inquiry can be stated more precisely. We outline a human-ecologically inspired theory pertaining to the occupants’ perception of and interaction with a building’s indoor-environmental control systems and their user interfaces. Specifically, we explore the operationalization potential of the proposed theory as a compact assessment protocol for the evaluation of buildings’ responsiveness to occupants’ preferences. Initial experiences with the derivative protocol are promising. Nonetheless, in order to be fully applicable in practice, certain challenges must be addressed. These specifically include the need for more robust procedures toward the translation of occupants’ subjective judgments into quantitative evaluation scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human-in-the-Loop Technologies for Occupant Centric Building Control)
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