The influence of psychological mechanisms and buildings' bioclimatic conditions on occupant behaviour

Abstract

Introduction. The building sector is responsible for about 40% of total energy usage in the European Union, of which 60% can be attributed to residential building energy consumption. Further, the gap that persists between predicted and actual energy consumption of buildings presents an issue for investors. This gap can be partly explained by occupant behaviour not being considered when estimating energy performance of buildings. Hence, this research investigates the influence of bioclimatic conditions, habits, and moral licensing on occupant behaviour. Theoretical background. Bioclimatic architecture, habits, and moral licensing are the theoretical foundations of this research. Bioclimatic architecture refers to a sustainable way of designing buildings that considers the local environmental context of the building (e.g., bioclimatic conditions such as the orientation of a building, solar radiation, or ambient temperature). Habits are unconscious behaviour that is triggered by environmental cues and plays an essential role in energy consumption. Moral licensing describes the cognitive process in which humans justify acting morally wrong without feeling guilt by having acted morally right previously. It is a cause of rebound effect. Methodology. To research the influence of bioclimatic conditions, habits and moral licensing on occupant behaviour, a quantitative cross-sectional research design was chosen. Data is collected through a survey questionnaire (N = 545) and supplemented by archival data. Further, data is analysed through multiple linear regression. Results. The results show 7% of occupant behaviour is explained by certain bioclimatic conditions, while 17% is explained by psychological mechanisms. In terms of psychological mechanisms, habits have a larger relative influence on energy-consuming behaviour than moral licensing. Lastly, psychological mechanisms can predict occupant behaviour to a larger extent than bioclimatic conditions. Discussion. The effect of bioclimatic conditions on occupant behaviour was weaker than expected. A potential explanation for this is the small size and the lacking variety in climatic conditions within the Netherlands. Although some limitations to the research were identified, it presents the first attempt at predicting energy consuming behaviour through bioclimatic conditions of residential buildings and psychological mechanisms which can guide future research. Conclusion. The findings of this research added to the knowledge on energy-consuming behaviour and how it is influenced. Architects, energy consultants for the built environment and policy makers can all include the insights of this research to help bridge the gap between predicted and actual energy consumption of buildings.