Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

6-2023

Abstract

Before 2020, the way occupants utilized the built environment had been changing slowly towards scenarios in which occupants have more choice and flexibility in where and how they work. The global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this phenomenon rapidly through lockdowns and hybrid work arrangements. Many occupants and employers are considering keeping some of these flexibility-based strategies due to their benefits and cost impacts.This paper explores how demand-driven control strategies in the built environment might support the transition to increased workplace flexibility by simulating various scenarios related to the operational technologies and policies of a real-world campus using a district-scale City Energy Analyst (CEA) model that is calibrated with measured energy demand data and occupancy profiles extracted from WiFi data. These scenarios demonstrate the energy impact of ramping building operations up and down more rapidly and effectively to the flex-based work strategies that may solidify. The scenarios show a 5–15% decrease in space cooling demand due to occupant absenteeism of 25–75% if centralized building system operation is in place, but as high as 17–63% if occupancy-driven building controls are implemented. The paper discusses technologies and strategies that are important in this paradigm shift of operations.

Keywords

Demand-driven controls, Flexible work arrangements, Urban building energy modeling, Data-driven occupancy modeling

Discipline

Energy Policy | Engineering

Research Areas

Integrative Research Areas

Publication

Building and Environment

Volume

237

First Page

1

Last Page

17

ISSN

0360-1323

Identifier

10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110318

Publisher

Elsevier

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110318

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