Publications

This study examines how differences in lifestyle and acceptance constrain the realizable energy demand reduction from household-level sufficiency measures in the Swiss residential building stock. To assess the practically achievable energy saving potential of five sufficiency measures covering behavioral adaptation, technical assistance, and space use optimization, building energy simulations were combined with national household data and a nationwide survey on lifestyle preferences and behavior. Energy saving potentials were first calculated under a full-adoption assumption, representing the theoretical maximum, and then adjusted to reflect acceptability constraints derived from the survey capturing differences in willingness to adopt sufficiency measures across lifestyle types. The results show substantially lower realizable savings, indicating that ignoring lifestyle heterogeneity systematically overestimates sufficiency potentials.

The need for energy efficiency strategies in buildings requires a deeper understanding of occupancy patterns, given their major impact on energy demand. This study proposes a data-driven methodology to infer domestic occupancy profiles from smart meter data in Switzerland, where research remains relatively limited despite the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050. Nearly 5000 anonymized smart meters from 2022 were analyzed at 15-minute intervals. Residential data was identified through annual consumption thresholds, classified by household size using time-series k-means clustering, and translated into deterministic occupancy schedules. Validation against TimeUse+ showed good alignment, supporting more accurate simulations and human-centered energy-saving strategies.

Despite prioritising energy efficiency and renewable energy, the building sector struggles to achieve sufficient reductions in operational and embodied CO₂ emissions. This study investigates sufficiency measures as a complementary decarbonisation strategy for the existing residential building stock until 2050, with relevance beyond Switzerland. Scenarios combining sufficiency and efficiency measures are evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA), k-medoids clustering, and a comprehensive dataset of building stock and socio-demographic characteristics across 508 Swiss municipalities. The results show that while individual measures have limited impact, combining space demand reduction with targeted renovations can substantially reduce emissions, helping to close the CO₂ gap. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations to support future Swiss cantonal energy and climate policies.

The paper “Effectivity of Different Window Opening States for Single-sided Ventilation: A Monitoring-based Case Study as Data Basis for Simulation Validation” investigates how different window opening positions influence natural ventilation in buildings with single-sided ventilation. Using field measurements, we compare airflow and indoor environmental conditions under various window configurations. The collected data are used to validate building simulation models, improving their accuracy and reliability. The study provides practical guidance for optimizing natural ventilation, enhancing indoor comfort, and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling through better window operation strategies.