Occupants’ Evaluation of the Operation, Functionality of Building Control Systems and Energy Implications in Multi Storey Office Buildings in Ghana.

Abstract

A study on office building occupants’ evaluation of the operation, functionality of building control systems and energy implications of their behaviour towards the improvement of building designs was conducted. A questionnaire was administered to 195 occupants’ in 4 multi-storey office buildings. The buildings are: World Trade Centre ( naturally ventilated), Ridge Towers, Premier Towers and Heritage Towers (all mechanically ventilated). The data and responses from the occupants were expressed using descriptive statistics. The results of the 12 months monitoring and survey of the buildings showed that most occupants’ behaviour led to increase use of energy during office hours. Not ventilating their offices before using the air-conditioners, lighting systems operating till close of work, setting air-condition temperature points lower than usual (18-20°C) are some of the occupant behaviours. Furthermore, since the opening of windows involved a collective decision making, it was hardly ever opened to ventilate the spaces.  Occupants at the Heritage Towers felt that, they were insufficiently informed about how their ventilation and air conditioning system, lighting and blinds operated. All across the buildings, 70% of the respondents reported that they thought about energy conservation when they operated their control systems. Fifty-two percent of the occupants in the air-conditioned offices did not switch off their air-conditioners when they were out of their offices for longer periods of time.  Attention should be paid to occupants’ behaviour with potential increase in the energy use of office buildings.

Keywords: Control systems, Occupants’, Energy, System operation, Office buildings.