End user engagement with domestic hot water heating systems: design implications for future thermal storage technologies

The strategies used by householders for heating and using hot water heating have a significant impact on energy consumption in domestic buildings. A better understanding of the interaction between occupants and hot water heating systems can improve the energy efficiency of a building. This paper maps the interaction between occupants and their current domestic hot water heating systems to provide insights for the design of future thermal energy storage systems. A total of 35 householders from the Midlands region of the UK took part in semi-structured contextual interviews about their current strategies for the provision of hot water and the way they engage with their heating systems. Using the DNAs framework as an analysis lens, drivers, needs and actions relating to the provision of hot water were evaluated and four distinct hot water heating types are presented: On Demand, For All Eventualities, Just Enough and Sunny Days. Findings provide insights into occupants’ behaviour in relation to hot water heating usage and design implications for thermal energy storage technologies.