Agent-based and graphical modelling of building occupancy

Abstract

We propose a novel stochastic agent-based model of occupancy dynamics in a building with an arbitrary number of zones and occupants. Simulation of the model yields time-series of the location of each agent (a software representation of an occupant). The model is meant to provide realistic simulation of occupancy dynamics in non-emergency situations. Comparison of the model's prediction of distributions of random variables such as first arrival time of a building is provided against those estimated from measurements in commercial buildings. We also propose a lower complexity graphical model of occupancy evolution in multi-zone buildings. The graphical model captures information on mean occupancy and correlation among occupancy at various zones in the building. The agent-based model can be used in conjunction with building performance simulation tools, while the graphical model is more suitable for real-time applications, such as occupancy estimation with noisy sensor measurements.

Keywords:

• agent-based model
• building occupancy
• occupancy model
• graphical model
• building energy performance

Acknowledgement

The research reported in this work has been supported by the National Science Foundation through grants ECCS-0955023 and CNS-0931885. The authors wish to thank Dr. D. Robinson and F. Haldi for providing us with the data reported in Page et al. (2008) that was used in model verification for the single-occupant single-zone scenario.

Notes

1. Another reason for introducing the term “node” is its use in the graphical models, which will be described later.