Defining Lighting Settings to Accommodate End-User Preferences While Reducing Energy Consumption in Buildings

Lighting systems account for approximately 50-70% of the total electricity consumption in commercial buildings. Previous research has shown that occupant behavior and their interactions with building systems significantly influence the total energy consumption in buildings. Yet neither architects/engineers design user-centered buildings that take into account these preferences nor do facility managers operate building's systems based on the end-users needs and preferences. Meanwhile, studies have shown day-lit environments could provide up to a 50% reduction in the electricity consumption associated with artificial lighting and increase occupant productivity, comfort, and well-being. In this paper, we present a user-centered approach where buildings can be designed according to the occupants' preferences and operated based on their behavior as well as their interactions with building systems. Through a presented case study, we have used the data collected from two experimental studies, (1) participants' lighting preferences and (2) participants' interactions with lighting systems in different default settings, to improve the design of an office space according to the participant's preferences and provide operational strategies in order to reduce occupants' interactions with such systems. The presented approach provides a methodology that can initially help architects/engineers design more energy efficient buildings around the occupants' preferences and facility managers operate the buildings systems according to the occupant behavior.