DOCENT – Development of Occupant-centric Control for ENergy efficienT buildings

The building sector is facing a digital revolution that is bringing new opportunities towards smart and sustainable buildings.

New technical features, such as increased computational power, improvements in machine learning, and sensor availability in buildings, have enabled a paradigm shift in the role of building occupants.

Occupants are no longer seen as mere recipients of the indoor climate but as active agents in the optimal operation of buildings to achieve better indoor climate and improved energy efficiency.

Digitalization enables a better understanding of occupancy and behavioral patterns and their impact on energy use, but many challenges are still unsolved.

This project will address them and develop occupant-centric control systems through an innovative hybrid research approach, using data-driven tools and digital twins.

Environmental, societal, and economic benefits will be demonstrated on both standard and state-of-the-art smart building testbeds.