Occupant-centric control in non-residential buildings

Current HVAC control systems assume occupant-related information, i.e., preferences, occupancy and behaviour. Furthermore, occupants often have limited control over the indoor environment in non-residential buildings. As a result, occupants are often dissatisfied with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This study works towards defining a novel occupant-centric control (OCC) framework which integrates occupants’ feedback regarding their satisfaction with the IEQ. This study collected both occupant satisfaction assessments via surveys and IEQ measurement data in various case studies. The collected data is used to (1) determine the statistical relationships between occupant satisfaction and IEQ and (2) develop personalized models to predict occupants’ satisfaction with IEQ. Afterwards, the developed personalized models will be integrated in an occupant-centric controller. A suitable consensus strategy, seeking the most optimal conditions in case of conflicting occupant preferences, is determined to make the OCC system applicable in multi-occupancy spaces, such as, classrooms and open-plan offices.