Occupants’ willingness to share information for improved comfort and energy efficiency in offices

• Influences on occupants’ willingness to share information are investigated • 791 samples were collected with a stated preference discrete choice experiment • Sharing demographic and physical environmental data is widely acceptable • Heightened concerns exist about sharing psychological and activity-related data • Anonymity and control over the data appear to be of crucial importance Human environmental perception and occupant behaviour are influenced by a multitude of factors, including demographic variables and individual preferences. Advancements in data collection allow the acquisition of extensive personal information, such as heart rate, skin temperature, and emotional responses to environmental conditions. These data can enhance research on multi-domain influences and on optimizing building operations but raise questions regarding individuals' willingness to share personal information. This study investigates how factors like data type, data collector, and anonymity level are associated with occupants’ willingness to share information for improved indoor environmental conditions or energy efficiency. A stated preference discrete choice experiment was developed and applied, with responses collected from participants in 29 countries, resulting in a dataset with 791 samples. The discrete choice analysis was conducted using mixed logit models and based on Random Utility Theory. The outcomes indicate that respondents exhibit relative indifference toward sharing demographic and physical environmental data, while having heightened concerns about sharing psychological and activity-related information. Anonymity and control over the data appear to be of crucial importance. Additionally, data collection by academic institutions is preferred to that by for-profit entities. Variability in willingness to share data across and within samples of countries suggests a necessity for tailored strategies. This research underscores the necessity of balancing advancements in energy efficiency and thermal comfort with societal needs that respect individual rights. Practical recommendations for effective personal data collection are provided and methodological limitations due to scenario complexity and participant engagement are highlighted.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Building and Environment
Published
2025-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113918
Primary Topic
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Occupants’ willingness to share information for improved comfort and energy efficiency in offices

Runa T. Hellwig, Dimitris Potoglou, Marta Laska, Edyta Dudkiewicz et al.
Building and Environment
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
article

Occupants’ willingness to share information for improved comfort and energy efficiency in offices

Runa T. Hellwig, Dimitris Potoglou, Marta Laska, Edyta Dudkiewicz, Gesche Margarethe Huebner, Sarah Crosby, Natalia Giraldo Vásquez, Karol Bandurski, Farah Al‐Atrash, Eleni Ampatzi, Ricardo Forgiarini Rupp, Rania Christoforou, Leonidas Bourikas, Stephanie Gauthier, Mohamed M. Ouf, Maíra André, Renata De Vecchi, Giorgia Chinazzo, Carolina Buonocore, Marcel Schweiker, Bin Cao, Elie Azar, Isabel Miño-Rodríguez, Marín-Restrepo Laura, RissettoRomina, TurnerPhilip, WangYijia
article en

Abstract

• Influences on occupants’ willingness to share information are investigated • 791 samples were collected with a stated preference discrete choice experiment • Sharing demographic and physical environmental data is widely acceptable • Heightened concerns exist about sharing psychological and activity-related data • Anonymity and control over the data appear to be of crucial importance Human environmental perception and occupant behaviour are influenced by a multitude of factors, including demographic variables and individual preferences. Advancements in data collection allow the acquisition of extensive personal information, such as heart rate, skin temperature, and emotional responses to environmental conditions. These data can enhance research on multi-domain influences and on optimizing building operations but raise questions regarding individuals' willingness to share personal information. This study investigates how factors like data type, data collector, and anonymity level are associated with occupants’ willingness to share information for improved indoor environmental conditions or energy efficiency. A stated preference discrete choice experiment was developed and applied, with responses collected from participants in 29 countries, resulting in a dataset with 791 samples. The discrete choice analysis was conducted using mixed logit models and based on Random Utility Theory. The outcomes indicate that respondents exhibit relative indifference toward sharing demographic and physical environmental data, while having heightened concerns about sharing psychological and activity-related information. Anonymity and control over the data appear to be of crucial importance. Additionally, data collection by academic institutions is preferred to that by for-profit entities. Variability in willingness to share data across and within samples of countries suggests a necessity for tailored strategies. This research underscores the necessity of balancing advancements in energy efficiency and thermal comfort with societal needs that respect individual rights. Practical recommendations for effective personal data collection are provided and methodological limitations due to scenario complexity and participant engagement are highlighted.

Building and EnvironmentVol. 287
Northwestern University (US), Wrocław University of Science and Technology (PL), The University of Sydney (AU), German Jordanian University (JO), University of Exeter (GB), Committee on Climate Change (GB), ETH Zurich (CH), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR), Sustainability Institute (ZA), Climate Centre (NL), Building Research Institute (JP), Universidade Estadual do Maranhão (BR), University of Southampton (GB), Poznań University of Technology (PL), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), Carleton University (CA), AGH University of Krakow (PL), Cardiff University (GB), RWTH Aachen University (DE), Aalborg University (DK), Technical University of Denmark (DK), Tsinghua University (CN)
Villum Fonden, Canada Research Chairs, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Politechnika Poznańska, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.