Title Page -- Contents -- Introduction -- Energy conservation in residential buildings -- Background -- Problem definition -- Aim of the study -- Research questions -- Research methods -- Data -- Relationship between research questions and data -- Limitations -- Structure of thesis -- References -- The effect of occupancy and building characteristics on energy use for space and water heating in Dutch residential stock -- Introduction -- State of the art -- Household characteristics -- Behaviour -- Data and analysis methods -- Transformed variables -- Missing data and univariate outliers -- Results -- Differences in energy use per type of dwelling and insulation level -- Results of analysis of variance -- Regression model for prediction of energy use for space and water heating -- Prediction of energy use for heating according to individual building characteristics and occupant behaviour -- Second regression model -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- References -- The effect of energy performance regulations on energy consumption -- Introduction -- Data and methodology -- Districts -- Energy consumption -- EPC calculation -- Methods of analysis -- Results -- Differences in the energy consumption for space and water heating for different EPC values and types of dwelling -- Real and predicted energy consumption -- Effect of thermal quality on energy consumption in dwellings -- Validation of the results with a nationwide survey (WoON database) -- Relationship between energy indicators and energy consumption (WoON database) -- Relationship between building characteristics and energy consumption (WoON database) -- Discussion -- Relationship between the Energy Performance Coefficient and actual energy consumption -- Actual and expected energy consumption -- Relationship between building characteristics and energy consumption -- Conclusions.

Recommendations for policy and practice -- References -- Occupants' behaviour. Determinants and effects on residential heating consumption -- Introduction -- Data and methodology -- Building characteristics -- Household characteristics -- Occupants' behaviour -- Energy consumption -- Results: analysis of OTB survey -- Reported behaviour -- Effect of occupant behaviour on energy use -- Determinants of the use of heating and ventilation systems -- Comparison with WoON database -- Effect of behaviour on energy use (WoON survey) -- Determinants on the use of heating and ventilation behaviour (WoON survey) -- Relationship between household characteristics and occupant behaviour (WoON survey) -- Discussion -- Effect of occupants' behaviour on energy use -- Regression model -- Determinants of behaviour: type of heating control ventilation and household characteristics -- Conclusions -- Occupant behaviour and energy consumption -- Methodology -- Recommendations for policy and practice -- Recommendations for further research -- References -- Behavioural patterns related to energy consumption for heating -- Introduction -- State of the art -- Methodology and data -- Approach -- Research data -- Building characteristics -- Household characteristics -- Occupant behaviour -- Results -- Effects of occupant behaviour on energy consumption -- Factors underlying behaviour: exploratory factor analysis -- Behavioural patterns -- User profiles: household and building characteristics related to behavioural factors -- Relationship between behavioural patterns and user profiles -- Relationship between behavioural patterns, user profiles and energy use -- Discussion and conclusions -- Recommendations -- References -- Occupant behaviour in dwellings with improved thermal characteristics. Evidence of a rebound effect -- Introduction.

Effect of occupant behaviour and building characteristics on energy consumption -- Data and methodology -- Results -- Variations in energy consumption in dwellings built in different construction periods -- Effect of building characteristics on energy consumption: do better thermal properties and systems efficiency lead to reductions in energy consumption? -- Effect of occupant behaviour on energy consumption: determining the main factors of occupant behaviour -- Effect of building characteristics on heating behaviour -- Effect of building characteristics on ventilation behaviour -- Discussion and conclusions -- Rebound effect on energy consumption in the Dutch residential stock -- Differences in behaviour determined by building characteristics -- Recommendations -- References -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Introduction -- Effect of energy performance regulations on actual energy consumption -- Effect and determinants of occupant behaviour in actual energy consumption for heating -- Determinants of energy consumption in recently built housing in comparison to the complete housing stock -- Data collection: limitations and recommendations -- Recommendations -- Recommendations for policy -- Recommendations for practice -- Recommendations for further research -- Closing remarks -- Summary -- Samenvatting -- Appendix 1. EPC calculations -- Appendix 2. OTB Survey questionnaire -- Appendix 3. Regression analysis (complete sample in the WoON database) -- Curriculum vitae.