Heating behavior using household air-conditioners during the COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan: An exploratory and comparative study

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 195; p. 107731
• Main Authors: Yan, Lu, Li, Jinbo, Liu, Meng, Hu, Mengqiang, Xu, Zhenkun, Xue, Kai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.05.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Air conditioner heating; Air conditioners; China's hot summer and cold winter zone; Comparative studies; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Energy demand; Heating; Internet of Things; Lockdown; Occupant behavior; Pandemics; Residential energy; Shelter in place; Statistical methods; Thermal comfort; Wuhan; China; COVID-19; Air conditioner heating; Lockdown; Occupant behavior; China's hot summer and cold winter zone; Wuhan
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107731

Wuhan is located in China's hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) zone, where the average temperature of the city from January to February 2020 is only 6.6 °C. This study aimed to explore and compare the air conditioner (AC) heating behavior of Wuhan residents before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The date of commencement of the Wuhan lockdown (January 23, 2020) was considered the demarcation point to divide the AC monitoring data from the Internet of Things cloud platform into two groups; before and after Wuhan lockdown. Statistical methods were applied to analyze AC heating behavior of Wuhan residents from a total of 378 air conditioners during these two periods. The daily AC usage rate and average daily AC usage duration following the lockdown had a stronger correlation with daily outdoor temperature than that before the lockdown. AC heating behavior continued to demonstrate a part-time intermittent operation during the lockdown period, despite residents staying at home for a longer period. Trigger temperatures for occupants to turn on or adjust their AC during the lockdown period were overall 1–2 °C higher than before the lockdown. The AC heating demand in the HSCW zone has been increasing in recent years. These research results inform research on household energy demand and thermal comfort in China's HSCW zone, and provide a reference on the household behavioral changes in the occupants in the context of a lockdown as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. •Daily AC usage rate and duration after the lockdown had a stronger correlation with outdoor temperature than that before.•AC heating behavior continued to demonstrate a part-time intermittent operation during the lockdown period.•Occupants’ trigger temperatures to turn on or adjust their AC during the lockdown period were 1–2 °C higher than before.•The AC heating demand in the HSCW zone has been increasing in recent years.•Provide references for household energy demand in the context of a lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.