Simulating the human-building interaction: Development and validation of an agent-based model of office occupant behaviours

This paper develops and validates an agent-based model (ABM) of occupant behaviour using data from a one-year field study in a mid-sized, air-conditioned office building.  The full ABM is presented in detail using a standard protocol for describing this type of model.  Validation of the ABM assigns simulated occupant “agents” the personal characteristics and environmental context of real office occupants in the field study; executes the model; and compares the model’s ability to predict observed fan, heater, and window use to the predictive abilities of several other behaviour modelling options.  The predictive performance of the full ABM compares favourably to that of the other modelling options on both the individual and aggregate outcome levels.  The full ABM also appears capable of reproducing more familiar regression relationships between behaviour and the local thermal environment.