Application of fuzzy technique to integrate multiple occupancy scenarios into house rating schemes (HRS)

Current house energy rating schemes (HERS) employ a constant set of building occupants and thermostat settings in the process of evaluation of house thermal performance in order to rate houses in terms of energy efficiency. A constant condition can result in discrimination against some energy efficient houses. This paper introduces multiple occupancy scenarios and proposes a model based on a fuzzy logic technique in order to integrate defined scenarios into a house rating scheme (HRS). The model also takes note of the thermal performance of houses in two operations: free running and conditioned mode. It is able to rate buildings in five categories of 1-5 stars for 6 defined occupancy scenarios. The integration process is presented in this paper.