## 1 Introduction
### Occupant Behavior
In the Netherlands, low-performance dwellings have much lower energy use, while the ones with high performance have a low energy use higher than calculated [35]. The patterns on the effectiveness and actual energy savings before and after thermal renovations in Dutch dwellings are also related to the habits of the building occupants, which remain the same, using more or less energy than calculated [36]. The more recently published literature on the interactions between occupant behavior and building energy efficiency were reviewed in [15]. Progressively more studies focused on the technical, constructional, financial and socioeconomic effects and occupant interaction effect on energy use. This way, it is possible to gain a better understanding of occupants' behavior, which is an important parameter for reducing energy use in the built environment. Occupant interactions, among other influencing factors, can significantly impact building energy efficiency related to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the lighting system and the hot water supply, among other elements [37]. In addition, other occupants' information, such as setpoints, income levels, homeownership and gender, have been identified to potentially influence the energy use in buildings, and some studies have investigated the related energy impacts. Beyond the traditional methods of interviews and surveys for assessing occupant behavior, which is a critical factor in building energy performance [38], monitoring different aspects of human occupancy will generate vast amounts of data that need to be analyzed to extract the relevant information using stochastic or deterministic models. Given the advancement of sensors and communication technologies, various energy feedback approaches are also gaining attention for communicating back to the occupants the status of their building's energy use, possible actions to improve the energy performance or even the indoor conditions. A survey study of behavioral patterns on the basis of occupant behavior and energy user profiles in Dutch homes revealed how the ages of the occupants and their financial income related to space heating [39]. The results showed that low energy use is commonly recorded in low-income homes. Similar studies in Dutch households have also documented that people with different environmental concerns preferred different ECMs, while low-income homes are also less willing (able) to apply (afford) energy conservation measures in their homes. The influence of occupants on space heating and their energy use practices in Danish households were investigated using a questionnaire and administrative data [40]. The results indicate that adjusting indoor thermostats and the amount or type of clothing that occupants wear indoors influence thermal comfort sensations and the perceived indoor temperature also correlates with the building characteristics. Accordingly, occupants dress warmer in order to combat a lower indoor temperature in old low-performance (inefficient) houses. On the other hand, occupants in new high-performance (energy-efficient) houses tend to maintain a higher indoor temperature. Similar thermal adaptations and other behavioral changes, combined with an increase in space heated rooms in the house, were documented in renovated Belgian nearly and net-zero energy households, confirming rebound effects of about 20-30% [41]. Considering the building occupant preferences among the various influencing factors, it is possible to more accurately calculate the actual energy use in building stocks and large building portfolios or make more realistic assessments of the effectiveness of energy conservation measures in the residential sector. Some important issues and questions that need to be addressed in order to make more realistic assessments of actual energy use in the residential sector or the effectiveness of energy conservation measures include the following: How do occupants use their heating systems at home? What systems do they use? When do they use them?