Occupant behavior: a “new” factor in energy performance of buildings. Methods for its detection in houses and in offices.

The role that occupants have on energy consumption and performance of buildings is known, but still requires a great deal of research. In this paper, the most common techniques to detect occupancy and occupant behavior in buildings are categorized with their advantages and disadvantages. Being the buildings characterized by different energy usage, the presentation of the studies that applied surveys and monitoring campaigns is conducted with a differentiation between residential and office buildings.