Promoting sustainable development goals through energy-related behaviors of household occupants: Fostering sustainable energy solutions in developing countries

Abstract

Household occupant's energy-related behavior plays a pivotal role in transitioning towards a net-zero future. Efficient energy practices at the household level are key to achieve sustainable development goals. By embracing sustainable energy behavior, households can contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact. The interaction between responsible energy use and sustainable development drives positive change for future generations. This paper provides valuable insights into how occupants' energy-related behavior influences energy consumption in residential buildings. The analysis focuses on addressing various energy-saving measures such as adjusting clothing, utilizing natural ventilation, turning off lights, and managing air conditioning usage time. The study adopts Agent-based modeling to assess these measures comprehensively. Results show that heating load contributes significantly to total energy use at 53.34 %, while cooling load plays a smaller role at 7.82 %. Results also underscore the influence of home location and income on energy usage, highlighting differences across seasons and before/after implementing energy-saving measures. Each individual measure has resulted in modest energy reductions, such as adjusting clothing insulation, utilizing natural ventilation, turning off lights, and limiting air conditioning usage (with reductions of 5.01 %, 4.04 %, 7.27 %, and 4.54 %, respectively). However, the combined influence of above measures has led to substantial (19.39 %) overall decreases in energy consumption. This highlights the crucial influence of occupants' behavior and socioeconomic aspects in molding energy consumption habits within homes.