GeopNu

The occupancy of rooms in office and residential buildings has been changing constantly. For that reason, the real occupancy profiles significantly deviate from the assumptions of the planning phase. The increased number of mobile devices enables to identify if a user is present and thus the real occupancy of rooms in order to better analyze the actual building occupancy. Such a user identification system shall be developed and then installed as a demonstration project in an office building. Afterwards, that system will be investigated by measurements. For that purpose, the technical and organizational requirements arising from legal requirements for data protection and data security are identified. First, the occupancy profiles recorded in practical test are compared to measurement data from existing presence detectors; second, the recorded occupancy profiles are compared with the standard profiles to demonstrate their influence on energy demand in building simulations. In addition, the impact of a targeted control with user identification for residential and office buildings is investigated via building simulations; possibilities are explored to use the data for an improved energy management. Finally, the practical test is analyzed and promising fields of application are shown.

First practical experience is gained in a demo system to identify users and to determine real occupancy profiles. Data protection and data security aspects are considered; they ensure that user identification is legally permitted also in other buildings or for further research in the optimization of building operation. For energy management and/or the optimization of building operation, the system with the occupancy data offers a basis to better assess the energy consumption; the latter can be compared more easily with calculated reference data if the real building occupancy is available. Furthermore, during the practical test, occupancy profiles in an office building are recorded. Those profiles can be compared with the assumptions for typical occupancy and can serve as a basis for realistic occupancy profiles in the planning and dimensioning of technical installations in future office buildings. Since industrial partners cooperate in this project, the research experience and results become known to potential users and are spread to an interested audience.

10/2016 – 09/2019

BMWi, PTJ, grant number 03ET1428A