Energy efficient design and occupant well-being: Case studies in the UK and India

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationships between sustainable building design and occupant well-being. It starts with a definition of sustainable design and well-being, and focuses on the relationships between energy performance and occupant feedback. Methodologically it draws on detailed monitoring and surveys of 12 case study office buildings in the UK and India, and the paper uses the data to explore whether energy use and associated CO2 emissions are correlated to occupant satisfaction and comfort. The results demonstrate that increased energy use in the case study buildings is associated with increased mechanisation (e.g. centralised air conditioning) and reduced occupant control. This reduced control in turn is shown to relate to reduced occupant comfort and satisfaction. Finally, the paper reveals that the reported health conditions of occupants correlates strongly with their levels of satisfaction. The overall conclusion is that energy use in typical office buildings is inversely correlated with the well-being of the occupants: more energy use does not improve well-being.