Sizing Methodology for Domestic How Water Systems Based on Accurate Occupant Behavior (LB-17-C019)

As households are being required to be more energy efficient over the years, the energy consumption for producing domestic hot water (DHW) is receiving increasing attention. Hence, the design of hot water systems is becoming more important for a holistic approach to energy conservation. Current sizing for these systems is often based on estimations that obey empirical rules. An inaccurate evaluation of the hot water demand could lead to a poor hot water system design that is either undersized or oversized. This either means an insufficient amount of hot water available to occupants or an overpriced system that never gets to be used at its optimal operational point. Therefore, it is crucial to properly evaluate the hot water demand when designing hot water systems for dwellings. This paper discusses a stochastic tool constructed to generate hot water demand profiles for residential buildings using a 10-minute resolution.