Bottom-up framework for modelling occupancy-based demand-side management strategies in a mixed-use district

In the context of electrification for different sectors, demand-side management (DSM) strategies are acknowledged as primary strategies to ensure the stability and reliability of the utility grid. Urban building energy modelling (UBEM) emerges as a critical tool for utilities to assess the impact of these strategies on the building sector's energy consumption and flexibility. However, relying on the developed models for this task is applicable only when detailed occupant-related inputs are integrated into the model. To this end, this paper aims to develop a framework to integrate high-resolution occupancy schedules into UBEM and showcase the application of the developed models in evaluating DSM strategies with different scenarios. The developed framework is applied to a mixed-use district in Montreal, Canada with 112 buildings as a case study. The main objectives of this study are 1) developing an urban scale high-resolution occupancy profile generator representative of Canadian commercial buildings using mobile positioning data, 2) investigating the diversity between the generated profiles of buildings within the same type, 3) developing a method to integrate the generated profiles into the Canadian commercial archetypes, and 4) evaluating the applicability of the developed model in evaluating DSM strategies by investigating the effect of occupant-centric control and occupancy-based demand response strategies on the modelled district energy use. The results of this study serve as a preliminary investigation into the crucial role that occupancy patterns can play in maximizing building energy flexibility with an estimated reduction in district peak demand by up to 17%. This study also paves the way for future research incorporating occupant feedback and comfort requirements for a more precise exploration of the proposed strategy.