Summary

Modern control and energy management systems promise to im-prove individual comfort and reduce energy consumption at the same time. However, fully automatic control is only part of the an-swer: the user interfaces also need to be better understood. BRE studies have revealed that: i Control systems need to be matched more closely to the way in which buildings are actually used and managed, particularly in multi-tenanted buildings. Otherwise systems tend to be left on "just in case", causing considerable energy waste, particularly with air-conditioning. ii Individual occupants require systems not only to provide com-fortable conditions but also to respond rapidly to alleviate discomfort when it is experienced. Air-conditioned buildings tend to be short on the latter, which may help to explain why occupants often seem less satisfied with them than one might expect. iii With suitable management, today’s controls can already deliver high levels of comfort and energy-efficiency. However they and the systems they control are often too complex for the average user, and need to be designed for better and easier manageabil-ity. BRE will be taking these studies further and using their findings to develop design guidance. BUILDING USE STUDIES USER AND OCCUPANT CONTROLS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS