Author, Institution: Himanshu Patel Tuniki, Kaunas University of Technology
Science area, field of science: Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002
Research supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andrius Jurelionis (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Research consultant: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gabriel Beko (Technical University of Denmark, Denmark, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Dissertation Defence Board of Civil Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Dainius Martuzevičius (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, T004) – chairperson
Prof. Dr. Violeta Motuzienė (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paulius Spūdys (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martin Thalfeldt (Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Prof. Dr. Tadas Ždankus (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, T002)
Dissertation defence meeting will be at Rectorate Hall of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio 73-402, Kaunas)
The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (Gedimino 50, Kaunas) and on the internet: H. P. Tuniki el. dissertation.pdf
Annotation: Despite advances in building energy technologies and control systems, the interaction between occupant behaviour, thermal comfort, and energy performance in office buildings remains insufficiently understood. Existing building performance assessments frequently overlook the dynamic and context-dependent nature of adaptive occupant behaviour. This dissertation investigates the influence of adaptive occupant behaviour on thermal comfort and energy performance in office buildings through a combination of field studies, literature analysis, and energy simulations. The study included open-plan offices in India and Lithuania, where adaptive actions such as clothing adjustment, temperature change requests, beverage consumption, and window operation were analysed. To evaluate the interaction between comfort and energy use, verified IDA ICE energy simulation models were developed using measured utility data. The results demonstrated that clothing flexibility was among the most effective strategies for reducing discomfort, while whole-building energy consumption remained comparatively less sensitive to behavioural changes. The findings also showed that the relationship between comfort and energy use is strongly dependent on season, climate, and workplace context. The dissertation presents an integrated approach to understanding the interaction between occupant behaviour, thermal comfort, and building energy performance, while also discussing practical implications for energy-efficient office operation and indoor environment management.