Over-reliance on technology – not the answer for energy efficient buildings

David Connacher, Marketing Manager of West Fraser, discusses how inhabitant behaviour is integral to a building’s success and performance

People spend 80-90%* of their time indoors so internal spaces and environments are incredibly important to quality of life and wellbeing. They can affect mental health and may trigger allergies; even the fact of being too hot or too cold can influence productivity. Frustratingly, understanding the relationship between buildings and those that occupy them is not an exact science.

While poor indoor air quality and overheating are well known problems, architects, designers and M&E consultants cannot necessarily predict patterns of occupant behaviour. Building users are fickle and often override or even tamper with the devices and components installed to make systems work effectively. This can range from the simple act of adjusting thermostats or air condition controls to disconnecting devices that they perceive to be noisy or wasteful of energy, such as MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) systems. Poor performance also results from maintenance being neglected, for example, ongoing servicing and filter cleaning. 

An over-reliance on technology to solve inherent building design issues is not the answer when it comes to creating healthy and energy efficient buildings. While fabric first principles must always be at the forefront of building design, they must also be coupled with the education of building owners and occupiers, especially when focusing on reducing energy use.

Paradoxically, the belief that we are being efficient tends to lead us to consume more energy. The knowledge that lightbulbs are low energy often means there is far less incentive to turn them off, so the overall energy used is little different from before. This idea that increased energy efficiency results in increased energy consumption is widely accepted and is dubbed the Khazzoom-Brookes postulate. At its extreme, people may put the money saved on energy in their home towards overseas holidays involving flying – hardly the most sustainable option.

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