International Journal of Chemical and Environmental En gineering Impact of Human Behavior on Energy Utilization

Energy consumption can be attributed to many factors; general economic conditions, energy prices, technology, and attitude towards energy use. Studies indicate that although people are often aware of the benefits of using energy efficiently, a variety of social, cultural, and economic factors often impact their behavior towards energy consumption. This paper presents the findings of a research project funded by Qatar National Research Fund to understand the behaviors, attitudes, and levels of understanding among faculty, staff, and students as related to energy use in Qatar University buildings. There has been limited work in institutional and organizational settings that considers occupant behavior as a factor in designing programs to conserve energy. A multi-method approach is used in five diverse buildings including web surveys, behavioral observations, environmental measures, and interviews. The analyses considered differences between the three population groups; faculty members, students and administration st aff towards energy conservation behaviors and attitudes. It was observed that occupants tend to wear heavy clothing during warm weather months indicating excessively low building temperatures. Among the findings discussed in the paper, QU staff is most concerned about conserving energy in QU buildings while students are the least concerned. A significant proportion of survey respondents are not aware of the university’s efforts to conserve energy; among those who are aware, many felt that university efforts are inadequate. Most occupants are willing to accept higher building temperatures during warm weather months and lower temperatures during cold weather months in order to reduce energy consumption in university buildings. This study attempted to understand the psychological, cultural, and institutional context within which energy-related decisions are made in educational facilities and how these factor