On modelling and simulation of occupant models

The selection of modelling and simulation methodologies plays an unprecedented role over the predictive accuracy of occupant behaviour and presence models. In this study, different modelling and simulation formalisms emerging from the literature were introduced to represent occupant's presence and lighting use in BPS tools. Lighting use and occupancy models were developed and simulated in these formalisms by employing six months worth of observational data gathered in five private offices in an academic building. The modelling and simulation formalisms' ability to regenerate the patterns of the observational dataset were contrasted. When a discrete-event agent-based lighting use model was coupled with an agent-based occupancy model ― whereby the events were defined as an arrival or a decrease in the indoor light intensity ―, both the mean weekday lighting load and the frequency/timing of the light switch-on actions could be predicted accurately.