Quantifying the 'human factor' in office building energy efficiency: A mixed-method approach

There is an urgent need to understand the role that human competency, values and interests play in determining the energy efficiency of Australian commercial office buildings. Research focused on the interaction between building technologies and the people who operate them is therefore required, especially in the case of older buildings where accessible and cost-effective technologies and know-how that can abate greenhouse gas emissions have not, as yet, been widely adopted. We need to ground this analysis in 'real-world' operational data rather than speculative models. This article proposes a mixed-method approach for defining and quantifying the extent to which operations staff and other key decision makers influence the energy efficiency of occupied Australian commercial office buildings, and presents preliminary findings.