Investigating parameters affecting the indoor temperature drop after a power cut -In-situ measurements and simulations

•In-situ measurements in two residential buildings following a heating power cut off.•Temperatures were measured in a single- and multi-family dwelling.•The in-situ measurements was compared to simulations and discrepancies identified.•The amount of furniture was identified as a possible cause for these discrepancies.

When looking at energy supply on a larger scale than to a single building, such as to a neighbourhood or a city, the combined effects of peak power demands can be seen to cause problems on the production side. These can be both economic and environmental and lead to the emission of greenhouse gases when fossil fuels are used to meet these peaks. Encouraging the demand side to reduce their power demands at these time could be one way of dealing with this issue. This paper investigates the temperature drops after a power cut both through measurements in the field and comparisons of these results to simulations. A single-family dwelling in use and a multi-family dwelling about to be decommissioned were studied. The comparisons showed that the rates of the temperature drops in reality were slower than in the simulation models. A parametric study of the variables affecting the temperature drops, such as furniture, showed that they might explain these differences.