Full Description

Four studies of residential energy use in single-family hares in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area are described. The first three studies involve correlation of annual gas and/or electric energy consumption with various physical home parameters. The fourth study is a correlation of seasonal gas use with weather data. In all the studies, annual or monthly energy use data are combined with hare characteristics and/or daily temperature data on an individual home basis.

Seasonal gas energy consumption shows a linear relationship with degree-days, and the gas consumption per degree-day increases linearly with gross floor area. A strong correlation between total yearly gas energy use and gross floor area is observed. Other physical parameters examined include: rode of heating, wall material, number of stories, number of fireplaces, and age of home. Even after consideration of all the paracreters available, a large fraction of the variation in total yearly gas energy use cannot be explained. These unexplained variations are apparently due to the effect. of unevaluated physical parameters and/or sociological variables included under the general term "lifestyle."

Units: Dual

Citation: ASHRAE Transactions, 1985, vol. 91, pt. 2A, Honolulu, HI