Occupancy and occupants’ actions

Occupants’ presence and actions within the built environment are crucial aspects related to understanding variations in energy use. Within this chapter, first, a nomenclature for the field of research dealing with occupants in buildings is defined. This nomenclature distinguishes between occupants’ presence and behavior, states and actions, adaptive triggers, non-adaptive triggers, and contextual factors. Second, an extensive list of occupant behaviors is provided and categorizations of occupants’ actions are introduced. The list includes most of the possible phenomena that researchers may wish to study, measure, and ultimately model. The categories are physiological, individual, environmental, and spatial adjustments. Third, a list of adaptive and non-adaptive triggers together with contextual factors that could influence occupant behavior is presented. Individual elements are further grouped into physical environmental, physiological, psychological, and social aspects. Finally, a comprehe