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COVID-19 impacts on residential occupancy schedules and activities in U.S. Homes in 2020 using ATUS

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  • Mitra, Debrudra
  • Chu, Yiyi
  • Cetin, Kristen

Abstract

Many aspects of the daily lives of those living in the United States were substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. A broad diversity of measures was implemented to curb the spread of the virus, many of which included adjustments to where and how people worked, went to school, and otherwise conducted their daily lives compared to pre-pandemic times. This has impacted how residential buildings are used, how much time people spend in their homes, and as a result, how much energy these buildings consume. The main objective of this study is to analyze, at a national scale, the differences in the occupancy schedules and activities conducted in homes in the U.S., as compared to pre-pandemic. 15 years of American Time Use Survey and Current Population Survey data, from 2006 to 2020, was used in this study to analyze the occupancy schedules for both pandemic (2020) and pre-pandemic (2006–2019) times. These impacts were also analyzed with respect to variables including, weekday/weekend, month of the year, age of the occupants, household income, and household size. The impact of the pandemic on occupant schedules were most substantial in the initial months, whereas as the months progressed, these occupancy profiles slowly changed. Across 2020, people spent, on average, 8 % more time (1.9 h) in their home on weekdays, and 3–6 % (1.2 h) on weekend days. The percentage of time spent for different activities and locations within homes were also studied. For 1-member households, their time spent at home decreased whereas for 2-, 3-, and 4- member households, they spent more time at home. Overall, people spent around 45% more time doing office- and work-related activities at home compared to pre-pandemic, which is likely due to increased remote working and schooling. This research helps to improve the understanding of the occupancy presence and absence profiles in U.S. residential buildings due to the pandemic and provides new insights as to modified profiles for researchers, building designers, and policy makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitra, Debrudra & Chu, Yiyi & Cetin, Kristen, 2022. "COVID-19 impacts on residential occupancy schedules and activities in U.S. Homes in 2020 using ATUS," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:324:y:2022:i:c:s0306261922010479
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119765
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Krarti, Moncef & Aldubyan, Mohammad, 2021. "Review analysis of COVID-19 impact on electricity demand for residential buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    2. Elizabeth Gibney, 2020. "Whose coronavirus strategy worked best? Scientists hunt most effective policies," Nature, Nature, vol. 581(7806), pages 15-16, May.
    3. Brooke Helppie-McFall & Joanne W. Hsu, 2020. "Financial Profiles of Workers Most Vulnerable to Coronavirus-Related Earnings Loss in the Spring of 2020," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2020-093, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
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