Adaptive behaviour and air conditioning use in Brazilian residential buildings
Greici Ramos, Roberto Lamberts, Karla Cristina de Freitas Jorge Abrahão, Fernanda Brito Bandeira, Carla Fernanda Barbosa Teixeira, Mariana Brito de Lima, Evandro Eduardo Broday, Adriana Petito de Almeida Silva Castro, Lilianne de Queiroz Leal, Renata De Vecchi, Lizia De Moraes De Zorzi, Kelen Almeida Dornelles, Silvia Duarte, Renata Gonçalves Faísca, Marília Ramalho Fontenelle, Thyago Phellip Freitas, Camila Gregório Atem, Giane de Campos Grigoletti, Liliane Maciel, Clélia Mendonça de Moraes, Cecilia M. Mueller, Thais Sartori, Bárbara Gomes Silva, Caio Frederico e Silva, Marcelle Vilar da Silva, Ana Lucia Ribeiro Camillo da Silveira, Roberta Vieira Gonçalves de Souza, Antônio Augusto de Paula Xavier
Abstract
This paper aims to understand and characterize occupant behaviour from a perspective of air conditioner (AC) usage. Therefore, it analyses data collected via a questionnaire applied throughout the Brazilian territory, which resulted in 3,259 valid answers explored by non-parametric statistical methods. The main results obtained were: (i) 89% of interviewed occupants prefer naturally ventilated environments at home; (ii) their preference impacts their behaviour, as those who prefer naturally ventilated environments tend to ventilate their house instead of turning on the air conditioner; (iii) climate and family income influence the availability of appliances, i.e. 93.2% of the high-income groups have at least one AC at home in extremely hot climates; (iv) there are groups with a tendency of high AC use, especially those who use AC often, also use it for a longer period of time; and (v) there is a significant difference between the setpoint temperature used in different climates; for instance, the lowest setpoint temperature is used in the hottest climate. This paper intends to contribute to a better understanding of occupants' preferences and behavioural tendencies, especially in Brazilian residences and hot climates, while showing the influence of variables like family income and climate on such issues.