Air conditioner operation was studied in order
to understand how energy consumption and peak power
are determined by user behavior, equipment operation
and building characteristics. In a multi-family
building, thirteen room air conditioners were instrumented
in eight apartments, and interviews were conducted
with the residents about their operation of
the units. The predominant mode of operation was to
switch the unit on and off manually; only one
resident consistently let it operate thermostatically,
and many residents were not aware that the unit
had a thermostat. Ambient temperature and time of
day were observed to have major effects on the
occupant's decision to turn the unit on or off. Even
though residents did not pay for electricity, numerous
noneconomic factors were found to limit their use
of air conditioning. Across apartments, seasonal air
conditioner energy consumption varies by two orders
of magnitude while interior July temperature varies
by 3.7°C
