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| Author(s): |
Paula Brumer Franceschini Kagan
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo |
| Defense date: | 2024-09-06 |
| Examining board members: |
Leticia de Oliveira Neves;
Roberto Lamberts;
Caio Frederico e Silva;
Clarice Bleil de Souza;
Doris Catharine Cornelie Knatz Kowaltowski
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| Advisor: | Vanessa Gomes da Silva; Leticia de Oliveira Neves |
| Abstract | |
Most studies on occupant behaviour (OB) in school classrooms are focused on window operation in oceanic climates. In naturally ventilated schools, thermal comfort and indoor air quality are mainly affected by OB with respect to window, door and fan operation. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of indoor air quality, particularly in densely occupied buildings such as schools. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and quantify the influence of multi-domain factors (including thermal, indoor air quality, contextual and multi-behaviour domains) on window, door, and fan status in naturally ventilated school classrooms in a humid subtropical climate, in order to predict OB. A systematic literature review was carried out to raise up information about existing models of occupant behaviour for school buildings. A data collection of 66 public schools located in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was performed to identify envelope and construction characteristics and select representative school buildings for a field campaign. Environmental variables, manual operation of windows, doors and fans, and occupancy rate were monitored and questionnaires were applied in a set of classrooms of selected school buildings. During part of the physical monitoring, restrictive occupancy measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic were observed. Statistical analysis was applied to assess the influence of the recorded parameters on the window, door, and fan status and to generate OB predictive models. An OB model was implemented in building performance simulations to predict OB over a year and compare it to optimized scenarios, considering thermal comfort and indoor air quality requirements. Results showed that indoor environmental variables influenced window, door, and fan status in school classrooms, with few exceptions. Yet, the models including school routines, social norms and teachers’ behaviour as predictors led to the highest accuracy. This suggests that, while a more complex model with additional predictors can provide more accurate predictions of OB, it also becomes more context-dependent and less generalizable. The trade-off between model complexity and generalizability is an important consideration in this research study, and it highlights the nuanced relationship between multi-domain factors affecting occupant behaviour in school buildings. The comparison between real and optimized occupant behaviours revealed variations of up to 42.5% in CO2 levels and up to 9% in discomfort hours, highlighting the potential to enhance indoor conditions by adjusting occupant behaviour. Finally, the optimal strategies varied by school, emphasizing the importance of evaluating recommendations within each specific context (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 19/13474-7 - Assessing the impact of occupant behaviour on the energy performance of AQUA-certified school buildings |
| Grantee: | Paula Brumer Franceschini |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |