Impact of Design Times and Temperatures on Residential Energy Use

Abstract

Predicted residential energy use for climate control could be over-estimated if it is based on unrealistic model of dwellers' heating/cooling routine. This paper investigates the parameters that may cause the discrepancy between the actual and predicted energy consumption. The proposed parameters constitute a heating/cooling model that may represent people's heating/cooling routine. The model is a simplified description of when and where to operate heating/cooling and which set of temperature settings and fluctuations to choose to minimise mismatches between predicted and actual energy consumption. The investigation is based on computer simulations and is guided by average recorded data collected in Adelaide by others. The results ascertain the assumption of setting the thermostat on neutral temperatures, conditional on nominating design times and places to be heated/cooled, to achieve predicted energy use reasonably close to the actual one.