Testing the accuracy of low-cost data streams for determining single-person office occupancy and their use for energy reduction of building services

We explored methods of detecting occupancy in single-person offices using data already collected by the occupant’s PC, or data from relatively cheap sensors added to the PC. We collected data at 15-s intervals for up to 31 days in each of 28 offices. A combination of low/no cost sensors (webcam-based motion detection, and keyboard and mouse activity) was much more accurate at detecting occupancy than a commercial ceiling-based passive infrared …