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London - Loughborough Centrefor doctoral researchin energy demand
Central House14 Upper Woburn PlaceLondon, WC1H 0NNwww.lolo.ac.uk
Heating controls and influences on householders’ space heating behaviour – do old habits die hard?
Ashley Morton 2nd Year PhD student, Loughborough University ([email protected])
Introduction
Research Aims
Research Questions
Does installing digital heating controls lead to a change in
household heating
patterns?
Do occupant heating
behaviours change after
installation of new heating
controls?
Do the new heating
controls lead to a saving in
energy use for households?
•The residential sector responsible for over ¼ of the UK CO2 emissions•UK Government committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 80% of 1990 level by 2050•Space and water heating is largest domestic energy user•New heating control technologies suggested as a means to save energy
“Buildings don’t use energy: people do”K. B. Janda, 2009
To compare householders’ space heating behaviour evolution from installation of new heating control technologies
•Both pre and post installation behaviour and differences between use of the three different systems. • And how they affect energy demand within households
System 1 System 2 System 3
Methodology
Programmable thermostat with wireless communication to the boiler. Allows householders to change set-point temperatures and set heating schedules.
Touch screen in-home display unit linked to temperature sensor with wireless communication to the boiler. Allows householders to change temperatures and schedules similar to System 1 with the added benefit of energy consumption data viewable on in-home display unit.
Similar to System 3 with in-home display with energy consumption information and additional programmable TRV’s. The programmable TRV’s allow for each room with one to be given a different temperature set-point and heating schedule to suit the householders.
• Combination of qualitative methods supported by quantitative data• Total of 15 households which shall be monitored for 16 months, including some pre-installation data.• Qualitative work shall focus on gaining in-depth knowledge of how occupants use their heating system and what behavioural traits are uncovered.
Whole house interactive
activityFollow up interview
Pre-installation household interview
System 1 installed
System 1 remains
System 2 installed
System 3 installed
Weekly energy
‘diary’ after installation for 4 weeks
Weekly energy ‘diary’ after
new installations for
4 weeks
Questionnaire on controls
Final household interview
Some initial results
• A focus group on heating use was carried out during the summer• Questions related to topic areas of interest for the main study such as heating habits
• Discussion covered; ◊ Most important factors◊ Influences on heating use◊ Heating control strategies◊ Negotiations of heating◊ Heating for alternative purposes than providing warmth
• Cost was identified as being important but no participants said it currently drove their heating use.
“I’m a cold blooded person so heating is important to me. I’d
stint on food before I’d stint on heating”
“I love to be warm I really hate to be cold so I probably live in an
overheated house but that is just how I like to live”
Factors identified as influencing heating use
Desire to be comfortable
Accessibility to heating controls
Previous thermal
experiences
Compromises to ensure all occupants
comfortable
Health issues
Secondary heating sources
