Modeling and implementing human-based energy retrofits in a green building in desert climate

Facility managers and occupants can have a significant influence on the energy consumed in buildings through their operation of various building systems. Acknowledging this energy-saving potential, researchers have turned to building energy modeling to quantify the impact of human actions and operation patterns on building performance and propose energy conservation strategies. However, a review of the current literature reveals consistent shortcomings related to the: (1) implementation and validation of the simulated strategies; (2) availability of granular data on occupants' characteristics and their working conditions; (3) consideration of the building's urban context (e.g., shading effects from neighboring buildings); and (4) implications for low-energy buildings subjected to extreme climate conditions. This paper presents an integrated data collection, energy modeling, and analysis framework to evaluate and apply operation-focused energy saving strategies in commercial buildings. The framework is supported by contextual data covering the building's design, occupants, and urban context. It is validated through a case study on a low-energy design building in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Energy savings of 24.4% are observed in the studied building following the implementation of simple operation strategies that do not require any capital investment nor affect the comfort and wellbeing of building occupants.