The influence of Saudi Arabian culture on energy use: Improving the time-use schedules in energy simulation for houses in Riyadh

Culture influences the way that people act and behave in all societies. In Saudi Arabia, culture and beliefs directly influence the lifestyle and behaviour of its citizens. Culture also impacts on energy usage of buildings, but this factor is often excluded from energy use simulations. A consequence of this is a mismatch between energy prediction and real energy usage. This paper demonstrates how a time-use data (TUD) model can be used to create a more realistic estimate of energy consumption in Saudi Arabia. TUD has been collected through a survey of 300 people living in Riyadh. The performance of the computational TUD model is cross-referenced with empirical data and the outcomes are used to discuss how the TUD model can be applied more effectively in energy use simulations.