Energy-efficiency potential of behavioral initiatives: An experimental case study from Brunei

Abstract

In several warm-climate countries, loads from air-conditioners constitute more than half of the energy consumed by residential buildings. Therefore improving the end-use efficiency of AC electricity consumption can yield significant benefits in terms of minimizing demand and energy subsidies, mitigating impacts of climate change, improving grid stability, and reducing the need for new investments in generation and transmission assets. In this work, we estimate savings that can be achieved through behavioral energy efficiency initiatives for residential households in a country with tropical climate. With the help of a pilot instrumentation covering different types of homes, we quantify the achievable savings from running ACs at higher set point temperature without sacrificing comfort and turning them off when not in use. Our analysis results indicate that simple behavioral adjustments can in fact deliver aggregate savings of about 19% as compared to business-asusual energy consumption without much discomfort to residents.