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Govertsen, Krissy

Publications and source records attributed to Govertsen, Krissy.

Ten questions concerning occupant-centric control and operations

Occupant-Centric Control and Operation (OCC) represents a transformative approach to building management, integrating sensing of indoor environmental quality, occupant presence, and occupant-building interactions. These data are then utilized to optimize both operational efficiency and occupant comfort. This paper summarizes the findings from the IEA-EBC Annex 79 research program's subtask on real world implementations of OCC during the past 5 years. First, in Q1 and Q2, we provide a definition and categorization of OCC. Q3 addresses the role of building operators for OCC, while Q4 describes the implications for designers. Then, Q5 and Q6 discuss the role and possibilities of OCC for load flexibility, and for pandemic induced paradigm shifts in the built environment, respectively. In Q7, we provide a taxonomy and selection process of OCC, while Q8 details real world implementation case studies. Finally, Q9 explains the limits of OCC, and Q10 provides a vision for future research opportunities. Furthermore, our findings offer valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers, contributing to the ongoing discourse on the future of building operations management.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

A stochastic model of future extreme temperature events for infrastructure analysis

Applying extreme temperature events for future conditions is not straightforward for infrastructure resilience analyses. This work introduces a stochastic model that fills this gap. The model uses at least 50 years of daily extreme temperature records, climate normals with 10%-90% confidence intervals, and shifts/offsets for increased frequency and intensity of heat wave events. Intensity and frequency are shifted based on surface temperature anomaly from 1850-1900 for 32 models from CMIP6. A case study for Worcester, Massachusetts passed 85% of cases using the two-sided Kolmogorov-Smirnov -value test with 95% confidence for both temperature and duration. Future shifts for several climate scenarios to 2020, 2040, 2060, and 2080 had acceptable errors between the shifted model and 10- and 50-year extreme temperature event thresholds with the largest error being 2.67 degrees C. The model is likely to be flexible enough for other patterns of extreme weather such as extreme precipitation and hurricanes.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Communication breakdown: Energy efficiency recommendations to address the disconnect between building operators and occupants

As technology advances, progressive building performance goals are met with ease and occupant behavior plays an increasingly significant role in preventing building operators from achieving those goals. However, removing occupants from participating in building control and operation is counterintuitive to the purpose of building operation. Occupant-centric control (OCC) has been suggested as a means of incorporating the occupant while simultaneously reducing the negative impact their behavior can have on building performance. As a result, operators are now tasked with incorporating OCC into their daily operation. The relationship between building occupants and operators is a critical component to OCC, and balancing occupant comfort and building performance. In this paper, we present findings from an international qualitative study of building operators with a focus on the operator and occupant relationship. This paper identifies the role operators play in OCC, how these relationships develop, and how these relationships impact building operation through two key research questions: What factors influence the quality of relationships between occupants and operators? How can the relationships between operators and occupants be improved? Subsequently, these questions revealed this relationship becomes strained when building performance is prioritized over comfort, occupants are ignored or uneducated, and feedback is negative or sparse. In short: there is a disconnection between operators and occupants. Here we propose several solutions including modifying job requirements to prioritize occupant comfort, educating occupants to make autonomous decisions that are not detrimental to operation, and creating effective communication channels for instances where operator intervention is required.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗