A Two Year Measurement of Energy Consumption and Indoor Temperature of 13 Houses in a Cold Climatic Region of Japan

Abstract

The energy consumption and indoor temperature of 13 housing units sited in the northern region of Honshu Island, Japan were investigated for a full two years from Dec. 2002 to Nov. 2004. Five of the houses were installed with all-electric equipment. The annual and daily energy consumption profiles of two typical houses were analyzed, and the annual energy consumption per house was found to range from 40GJ/year to 120GJ/year. The difference of energy consumption between the two years was very small, while in some houses, energy consumption during the second year decreased due to a rise in energy saving awareness. The results indicated that the characteristics of energy consumption were not only greatly influenced by regional climate but also by the use of household equipment and lifestyle. Finally, the relationship between energy consumption for space heating and indoor temperature is discussed. © 2006, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.