Volume 24: Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Post-COVID Recovery towards a Better Future: Part VII

Evaluating the Interaction of Occupant Behavior and BACS (Building Automation and Control System) on Energy Consumptions: A Feasibility Analysis Bottero M, Cavana G*, Dell’Anna F

Abstract

As highlighted by the European Union legislation, the building sector is considered crucial in order to achieve the expected objectives in terms of reduction in greenhouse gases emissions to net zero and below. Furthermore, the impact that user’s behavior has on the energy consumption of residential buildings and consequently on well-being and comfort is well documented. In these regards, the application of Building Automation and Control System (BACS) aims at achieving an improvement in the user’s indoor comfort conditions, as well as a significant reduction in energy consumption due to an optimization of its delivery. This study verifies the potentialities of BACS installation to two case studies; a nearly Zero Energy single-family house and an energy retrofitted apartment located in the Northern Italy. In detail, different scenarios were designed, combining different energy consumers’ profiles, and building automation systems configurations. In order to measure the feasibility of the projects, Cost-Benefit Analyses (CBA) were performed, comparing investment cost with energy savings and extra economic benefits. The latter were estimated through a survey in terms of consumers’ willingness to pay for the installation of smart devices in their homes through a contingent valuation in the iterative bidding format.

Keywords Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Nearly-Zero Energy Building (nZEB), Willingness To Pay (WTP), economic convenience, smart building, consumer behavior.