One of the most important barriers when seeking to improve the energy efficiency of buildings is the lack of knowledge about the factors that determine the final use of energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Program, in its project Annex 53, identified six determining factors in the use of energy in buildings: climate, building envelope, energy systems and building services, interior design criteria, operation and maintenance, and occupant behavior. The latter is the only factor without showing significant progress where there are current scientific flaws in the energy model related to it in buildings. Often, a significant discrepancy is reported between the predictions or estimates and the actual use of total energy in buildings. The reasons for this discrepancy has to do more with occupants' behavior, than with the building design (according to experts from the international project Annex 66).
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