Energy efficiency and occupants’ behavior: analysis of a public housing case study

Energy management of buildings comprises quantitative technical aspects and social aspects related to the behavior of the inhabitants. Both play a crucial role in terms of energy use, emissions, and indoor comfort. In retrofits, the technical aspects are generally developed with skill and care by the designers and construction companies, while the aspects related to informing and sharing with the inhabitants are almost always neglected, often affecting the results of the work. The present study analyses the interaction of technical and behavioral aspects in a public residential building (ERP) with a social rent, located in the outskirts of Milan, which has recently undergone an important energy retrofit by the Municipality. The building houses about 500 tenants from 32 different countries, distributed over 154 apartments. Here, the EnerPOP project, funded by Politecnico di Milano, is developing a methodology for reconciling technical and social aspects in the context of the refurbishment of ERP assets. Energy use and comfort conditions have been evaluated in a number of apartments. The analysis shows a great variability in energy use and a poor correlation between that use with internal comfort conditions. Hypotheses of correlation between energy use and practices adopted by the tenants have therefore been formulated, thanks to a preliminary activity of social characterization of the resident families.