This book presents the state of the art of two areas: intelligent
residential buildings and the behaviour of their occupants. These areas
need to be treated together in order to develop new concepts for
buildings, which are more efficient, more comfortable and more healthy.
The concept of intelligent building is associated with the creation of a
management system that takes into account the requirements of the
occupants in terms of thermal comfort and their daily activities,
maintaining good indoor air quality and minimizing energy consumption.
In commercial or office buildings, these systems are already at an
intermediate stage of implementation. However, in the residential sector
they have yet to be significantly implemented. In mild climates, where
the interactions of the occupants with the building mechanisms are the
primary way to ensure adequate comfort and ventilation, the importance
of occupant behaviour studies and their incorporation in the algorithms
of the intelligent buildings becomes even more crucial.
This book offers new concepts on how to bring these aspects together.