TITLE:
A Study on Seasonal Thermal Environment and Active Behaviours of the Occupants Living in a Condominium under the Use of Home Energy Management System (HEMS)
AUTHORS:
Rajan K. C., Hom Bahadur Rijal
KEYWORDS:
HEMS, Indoor Environment, Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, Thermal Behaviors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: The use of Home Energy Management System (HEMS) is increasing worldwide for the effective use of energy inside the building. The Japanese government aims to set up HEMS for all of the new dwellings by 2030. Thermal comfort is associated with the trend of energy use in a building. In order to find out the seasonal thermal environment and thermal behaviors of the occupants for thermal comfort adjustment living in smart houses, we conducted a questionnaire and measurement survey in a condominium with 18 floors and 356 families equipped with HEMS. Indoor air temperature and relative humidity were measured for one year and the data was analyzed. The questionnaire survey was conducted online to understand the thermal behaviors of the occupants. The result showed a large variation in indoor air temperature during different seasons. The occupants behaved differently according to the seasons. The indoor air temperature of some of the flats in summer was observed even higher than as recommended temperature setting in Japan. They maintained thermal comfort by adopting active behaviors like changing clothing insulation, and using fan and window opening. Due to high insulating materials used in the building, the indoor air temperature was not that much lower even in winter without the use of any electric heating devices. The result indicates that the occupants behaved differently to adjust the indoor thermal environment even during the use of smart HEMS.