Investigating occupant thermostat-adjustment behavioral patterns in different heat pump operation modes: a field experiment.

Summary

The advent of smart connected thermostats and their capability of data collection have spurred many studies exploring how occupants adjust thermostat setpoints to achieve comfort, along with the various factors influencing their setpoint preferences. The objective of this study is to investigate thermostat-adjustment behavioral patterns in households with single-stage heat pumps coupled with backup heaters and smart thermostats. A field study was carried out in 30 houses within a newly constructed residential community. The experiments consist of two parts: 1) a baseline mode featuring a heat pump paired with an auxiliary heater controlled by default thermostat heuristic rules, and 2) a comparison mode where the auxiliary heater is activated to provide the majority of heating. The findings from the field study suggest that several occupants exhibit lower setpoint preferences during the winter season for the comparison mode that has higher supply air temperatures. Furthermore, four distinct setpoint-increasing behaviors are identified, contributing to the setpoint differences between the two modes. Among these, the behavior associated with staging the auxiliary heater and lower heat pump capacity during cold weather conditions is the primary difference between the two operation modes. A noticeable decrease in this behavior is observed in the comparison mode.

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Details

  • Original title: Investigating occupant thermostat-adjustment behavioral patterns in different heat pump operation modes: a field experiment.
  • Record ID : 30032923
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2024 Purdue Conferences. 8th International High Performance Buildings Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2024/07/15

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