Energy consumption pattern analysis of housing in warm-humid climate

The residential sector in India plays a significant role in the country’s energy economy. Energy consumption has upsurged manyfold since 2000, driven by the expanding population and rapid mass urbanization and industrialization. However, there are substantial variations in energy use pattern and service quality because of various corelated factors such as socio-economic division, household built-up area, and access to energy-intensive appliances.

The interaction between these factors in the energy usage scenario of a LIG and MIG household could enlighten the optimization parameters. This research paper explores the intricate character of electricity consumption in the Indian household, cases of LIG and MIG, as a result of the aforementioned factors and evaluates the seasonal variations by assessing the energy usage share for (a) thermal comfort, (b) lighting, and (c) home appliances in a warm-humid climate condition. The paper sets off by presenting a thorough outline of the Indian household energy demand and its dependencies and cost-effectiveness to consumers, as well as its objective implications for maintaining a balance between the environment and sustainability.

Subsequently, it addresses the consequences of individual variables such as floor area, family size, family income on the energy usage share and also overall electricity consumption and its deviation in relation to the lifestyle decisions and behaviour of users in a household. The study conducted a questionnaire-based survey of 300 households selected via random sampling techniques in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, India. Multivariate statistical methods have been adopted to analyse the collected data and depict the pattern and trends of household electricity consumption.

The study’s primary findings display the variation in energy usage resulting due to the alteration in floor carpet areas and overall built-up areas in different income based household classifications. Moreover, the seasonal variation in energy usage is exhibiting to be relatively consistent for the summer and monsoon, whereas the winter months are naturally comfortable. Also, the user’s family income, lifestyle choices, and behaviour exhibit a diversion from the typical usage pattern of maintaining a consistent family size. In conclusion, the analysis indicates the adoption and expansion of solar photovoltaics as viable sources to balance the energy requirements and achieve the objective of constructing net-zero buildings and overall sustainability.