Determinants of residential end-use energy: Effects of buildings, sociodemographics, and household appliances

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the determinants of end-use energy consumption: heating, cooling, DHW, lighting, electric appliances, cooking, through the integrated consideration of physical building factors, sociodemographics, and household appliance-use characteristics in residential buildings. To this end, this study collected dwelling and household characteristics through a site survey of 71 apartment households, which is a representative residential building type in South Korea. Additionally, a measurement system was installed so that information pertaining to the energy consumption by end use could be collected; we acquired annual energy data for the period between May 2017 and April 2018. Then, valid determinants for each end use were examined through multiple regression analysis with five regression models. (Model 1: analysis of a single variable that is the most influential; Model 2–4: analysis of valid determinants considering only physical building factors, sociodemographics, and household appliance-use characteristics by each model; Model 5: analysis of valid determinants considering all independent variables). The key findings of the research were as follows. The most deterministic factor was found to be AREA (area for exclusive use) for energy consumption of heating and electric appliances. And nHM (number of household members) was presented as the most influential factor for DHW, lighting, and cooking energy consumption. For cooling energy consumption, AIR_oper (air conditioner operating hour) was shown as the most deterministic factor. Furthermore, the order of influence of physical building factors, sociodemographics, and household appliance-use characteristics over each end-use energy consumption displayed as follows: building > appliance-use for heating, appliance-use > building for cooling, only sociodemographics for DHW and cooking, sociodemographics > building > appliance-use for lighting, appliance-use > sociodemographics > building for electric appliances. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.