UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Heating patterns in English homes: Comparing results from a national survey against common model assumptions

Huebner, GM; McMichael, M; Shipworth, D; Shipworth, M; Durand-Daubin, M; Summerfield, A; (2013) Heating patterns in English homes: Comparing results from a national survey against common model assumptions. Building and Environment , 70 pp. 298-305. 10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.08.028. Green open access

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S0360132313002540-main.pdf]
Preview
PDF
1-s2.0-S0360132313002540-main.pdf

Download (346kB)

Abstract

Heating patterns and temperatures are among the most important determinants of English home energy use. Consequently, building stock models, widely used for informing UK energy policy, are highly sensitive to the assumptions they make on how occupants heat their homes. This study examined heating patterns in English living rooms and compared them to model assumptions. A time-series of winter spot temperature measurements was translated into statements of the heating system being on or off during weekdays and weekend days, and the heating demand temperature estimated. The analysis showed that weekdays and weekend days are far more similar than commonly assumed. Contrary to model assumptions, homes were frequently heated outside assumed heating hours and not all homes were heated at the same time or followed the same pattern. The estimated demand temperature was about 20.6 °C, and the average temperature during heating periods was about 19.5 °C, both lower than the commonly assumed 21 °C used in models. Significantly, variability between homes in demand temperature and hours of heating was substantial. The results indicate the need to revisit some assumptions made in building stock models, and to take account of variability between homes when aiming at predicting space heating demand for an individual home.

Type: Article
Title: Heating patterns in English homes: Comparing results from a national survey against common model assumptions
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.08.028
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.08.028
Additional information: �© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Keywords: Heating patterns; Heating demand temperature; Heating duration; Occupancy schedules; Building stock models; BREDEM;
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1402869
Downloads since deposit
424Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item