Monitoring the energy performance of very low and zero energy buildings is fundamental to evaluate the efforts made to transition into an energy neutral built environment. Post occupancy monitoring has been embedded into current practice, supported by the availability of smart meters and affordable sensor technology. However, there is still a lack of standardised monitoring guidance, which complicates the comparison between projects. In this study, we reviewed reports and publicly available documents related to the monitoring of low energy and zero energy projects in the Netherlands. A total of 12 studies reporting on 65 projects containing 4,400 dwellings were analysed. These included both new and renovated housing built in the last decade. This study aims to provide an overview of actual energy performance in energy renovation projects across the Netherlands. It also analyses the difference with predicted energy performance and analyses the perceptions of residents involved in low and zero energy renovations. It answers questions such as: What energy and behavioural data is being gathered through energy monitoring in the residential sector (related to monitoring low and zero energy buildings/dwellings)? How is the data currently being utilized? What does the data tell us about actual energy use and resident perceptions? How can monitoring be improved to help develop better energy models, and help building owners optimize their investments in energy renovation projects? The results indicate that even though monitoring building performance in the Netherlands could be considered common practice, the results are seldomly reported or communicated. Furthermore, very few projects monitor indoor conditions and occupants’ behaviour. As a consequence, the performance gaps found in these projects are not fully understood. These findings are summarised to provide an overview of the main goals for monitoring from a practical point of view. These findings are used to provide recommendations for monitoring setups according to the final goals.

Dwellings and systems are becoming ever more complex. In achieving high energy performances, the interaction among user, building and systems plays an increasingly crucial role. We studied this interaction in 16 recently renovated low-energy dwellings, to advance the field in terms of methods, and to derive pointers for improved renovation concepts. We used sensors to monitor the indoor environment. And we further developed a method that uses questionnaires, diaries and a so-called 'walk through the house' interview technique to gain insights into occupant behaviour and the reasons for the occupants' behaviours. The results show that the observed behaviour was almost always a normal response to the situation, but often not the behaviour that was expected when designing the renovation concept. A major reason for this was the occupants' efforts to reduce discomfort, which was often the result of the renovation solution itself (for example draught, noise or a warm bedroom). So, we found that behaviour was often a quite normal reaction to the renovation solution. We conclude that the resulting underperformances of renovation concepts are caused by technology centred design. We posit that this can be improved by testing renovation concepts in real world situations.