Factors affecting 'end of day' window position in non-air-conditioned office buildings

This paper reports a recent longitudinal study observing people’s use of windows in cellular office spaces and suggests that the thermal environmental parameters are not the only factors affecting people’s behaviour. The study focuses on the ‘end-of-day’ window position due to its influence on the next day’s thermal performance of buildings and energy use during the unoccupied night-time period when occupants’ comfort is not important. The results suggest that the occupant behaviour determining the final window position at the end of the working day dependents not only on temperature, but also on floor level, gender and personal preference.