Modelling energy use behaviour of British Asian (Indian) households

Basavapatna Kumaraswamy, Satish 2017. Modelling energy use behaviour of British Asian (Indian) households. Presented at: Sustainable Earth 2017: A global forum for connecting research with action, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK, 29 - 30 June 2017.

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Abstract

Recent studies show that actual energy demand from low carbon new-build homes can be up to 40% above expectations and energy savings from thermal upgrades are often under predicted. The inefficient behaviour of its occupants is identified as a contributing factor of this “performance gap”. This behaviour is also believed to be significantly correlated to the households’ socio-economic characteristics. While building simulation has made significant progress, the representation of occupants and their behaviour needs further work. This research investigates the energy use behaviour of a specific demographic and ethnic group, the British Asian households. A large-scale housing survey is used to gather self-reported information about the British Asian households’ energy use behaviour, for instance, heating patterns, appliances use, ventilation behaviour, as well as other socio-economic characteristics. Data collected will be analysed and transformed into energy models, which includes Space heating behaviour models, electrical appliances and lighting use models, Ventilation behaviour models, and architectural architypes that represent behaviour patterns for different demographic groups. The outcome of this research demonstrates how social perception and economic aspirations limit the acceptability of sustainable design and construction strategies. This research involves active community participation and engagement; a major part of the dissemination will aim at communicating the research findings to the British Asian households, which will have a direct impact of energy reduction by informed behaviour choice. Further, this research will define the low carbon housing strategies and improved energy use predictions for the British Asian households.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Speech)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Last Modified:	07 Aug 2025 11:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180216

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