Case study on the effects of technical optimization and augmented user-sophistication.

1. Towards improving energy-
efficiency in office buildings
Case study on the affects of technical optimization and augmented
user-sophistication
Pieter C. le Roux
Center for People and Buildings

2. Research Topic
Need for knowledge regarding the effectiveness of 3
energy savings packages for implementation in existing
office buildings:
- Formulated by the Dutch Government Buildings Agency (DGBA)
on the basis of their role as building managers / supply side
- Packages contain only technical measures
What are the affects of user-sophistication on the
energy-efficiency of (exiting) office buildings?
- Suggested an approach in which both technical measures as
well as the effects of user-involvement in increasing the energy-
efficiency of office buildings could be determined.
Towards improving energy-efficiency in office buildings

3. Research Methods
Information on the energy consumption of 19 existing
buildings for the period 1989-1995 and 2005-2007:
- Occupied by the Dutch Tax and Customs Authority
Primary research method:
- Application of the EBOB (Energy Efficient Behavior in Office
Buildings) model
- 18 strategies for Technical Measures and Influence of User-
behavior in which the 3 energy saving packages were incorporated
Secondary research method:
- PARAP Lifecycle costing model
- Calculating the additional cost implications of the various EBOB
strategies on the basis of simulating a
Towards improving energy-efficiency in office buildings

4. Research Results (1): Strategies
Towards improving energy-efficiency in office buildings
Energiegebruik in kWh per m2 BVO
0,0
20,0
40,0
60,0
80,0
100,0
120,0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Strategieën
kWh/m2BVO
Totaal - Rgd Scenario 1
Totaal - Rgd Scenario 2
Totaal - Rgd Scenario 3
Totaal - Rgd Scenario 4

5. Research Results (2): Additional Costs
Towards improving energy-efficiency in office buildings
0,00
10,00
20,00
30,00
40,00
50,00
60,00
70,00
80,00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Strategieën
Kosten/m2BVO
0,0%
5,0%
10,0%
15,0%
20,0%
25,0%
30,0%
35,0%
40,0%
45,0%
kosten per m2bvo
besparingen

6. Suggestions: Future Research Agenda
On the ambition to improve the energy-efficiency of
existing buildings:
- Relevance of the symbiotic relation between:
- Technical measures and building management and control
systems and personnel
- Technical measures and user-involvement
- The level of sophistication of user-involvement
What are the affects of these measures on subsequent:
(i) Building performance in terms of energy consumption?
(ii) Building performance in terms of user-satisfaction?
Towards improving energy-efficiency in office buildings