Integrated post-occupancy evaluation with sensors improves residential well-being and energy efficiency
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Contemporary housing must ensure the well-being of its occupants while reducing consumption and emissions, but there remains a gap between expected and observed performance due to methodological heterogeneity and the lack of continuous monitoring and integration between objective measurements and user perception. Therefore, this article reviews the state of the art of integrated post-occupancy evaluation with sensors in the residential setting. Methods: An exploratory literature review was conducted using an a priori protocol, searching architecture and engineering databases from 2000 to 2025, with inclusion criteria focused on occupied dwellings that combine indoor environment or energy sensors with post-occupancy instruments, and descriptive and thematic synthesis with quality assessment. Results: The evidence shows that continuous multivariable monitoring allows for the detection of episodes and causes of discomfort, the quantification of the performance gap, and the guidance of operational and user learning measures. In addition, occupant-centered approaches and the convergence of objective and subjective data improve comparability and decision-making, although scalability requires attention to privacy, interoperability, and metrological assurance. Conclusions: Instrumented post-occupancy evaluation can simultaneously improve well-being and energy efficiency if protocols are standardized and data governance is strengthened for replicable residential applications.
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