A review of occupant control on natural ventilation

According to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the largest use of energy in commercial buildings is space heating in colder climates and air conditioning in hot climates. In Europe, the Directive on the energy performance of buildings EPBD (European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) [1] provides a framework for national building performance regulations and calculation procedures. However, there are often large discrepancies between calculated and measured energy performance of buildings. One main reason is the behaviour of occupants, which is often not reflected in calculation models.This paper presents a literature review of various parameters influencing the effectiveness of occupant controlled natural ventilation. Additionally possibilities to implement these influences into calculation procedures/building simulation and adaptive thermal comfort evaluation are discussed.