Temperature and sleep

Expert guidance in the UK suggests a limit the temperatures in bedrooms to of 26oC or less to avoid overheating. This short paper looks at the temperatures in bedrooms and uses data from comfort surveys combined with models which link comfort to the thermal environment. Evidence is given that people sleep comfortably where temperatures are 29 - 31°C in their personal space within the bed and they use bedclothes to allow them to attain these temperatures. The effect of the use of a mattress and the adaptive opportunities afforded by the bedclothes and sleepwear are briefly explored as are methods used in hot climates to offset high bedroom temperatures.

Temperature and sleep

Expert guidance in the UK suggests a limit the temperatures in bedrooms to of 26oC or less to avoid overheating. This short paper looks at the temperatures in bedrooms and uses data from comfort surveys combined with models which link comfort to the thermal environment. Evidence is given that people sleep comfortably where temperatures are 29 - 31oC in their personal space within the bed and they use bedclothes to allow them to attain these temperatures. The effect of the use of a mattress and the adaptive opportunities afforded by the bedclothes and sleepwear are briefly explored as are methods used in hot climates to offset high bedroom temperatures

Using Passive Strategies to prevent overheating and promote resilient buildings

Overheating is becoming a problem in buildings in the city centre. This situation is further exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island phenomena and by climate change. High levels of urbanisation and design decisions that compromise the use of passive technologies e.g. opening windows, have resulted in more active systems being used for cooling. This has often led to an increase of energy consumption and compromising the need to achieve nearly zero carbon buildings in the near future. This paper assesses the likelihood of a model dwelling in London overheating in line with climatic predictions for the year 2030, 2050 and 2080. The criteria to assess overheating are based on the Technical Memorandum 52 from CIBSE. A range of passive solutions e.g. natural ventilation, shading and orientation are assessed and discussed in a move towards sustainable buildings that are resilient to global warming

A window opening algorithm and UK office temperature field results and thermal simulation

This investigation of the window opening data from extensive field surveys in UK office buildings investigates 1) how people control the indoor environment by opening windows, 2) the cooling potential of opening windows, and 3) the use of an “adaptive algorithm” for predicting window opening behaviour for thermal simulation in ESP-r. We found that the mean indoor and outdoor temperatures when the window was open were higher than when it was closed, but show that nonetheless there was a useful cooling effect from opening a window. The adaptive algorithm for window opening behaviour was then used in thermal simulation studies for some typical office designs. The thermal simulation results were in general agreement with the findings of the field surveys

The thermal simulation of an office building implementing a new behavioural algorithm for window opening and the use of ceiling fans

This investigation of the window opening data from extensive field surveys in UK office buildings investigates 1) how people control the indoor environment by opening windows, 2) the cooling potential of opening windows, and 3) the use of an “adaptive algorithm” for predicting window opening behaviour for thermal simulation in ESP-r. We found that the mean indoor and outdoor temperatures when the window was open were higher than when it was closed, but show that nonetheless there was a useful cooling effect from opening a window. The adaptive algorithm for window opening behaviour was then used in thermal simulation studies for some typical office designs. The thermal simulation results were in general agreement with the findings of the field surveys

The range and shape of thermal comfort and resilience

The adaptive approach to thermal comfort shows that there is not a single comfortable temperature. A wide range of the temperatures which occur in indoor environments can be found acceptable to building occupants depending on their individual experiences and circumstances. This paper extends the approach introduced in a recent paper [1] to learn the lessons which can be drawn by looking in detail at the relationship between indoor and outdoor temperatures in buildings. By reviewing the records of indoor and outdoor temperatures from field surveys in a variety of climates and cultures, the paper explores the limits to the acceptable indoor temperature range, and its relationship to the concurrent outdoor temperature. In doing this the paper builds on past findings adding some related lessons derived from surveys from many parts of the world – especially Japan, Pakistan, Nepal and Europe. The ways in which the shape of a cloud can be interrogated are explored as well as the effect of emergencies on the range of acceptable temperatures in buildings

Rosemary powder filtrate improves the oxidative stability and antioxidant properties of rapeseed oil : potential applications for domestic cooking

The authors would like to thank the Gen Foundation (London, UK) for providing funding to support this research.Peer reviewedPostprin

Developing indoor temperature profiles of Albanian homes for baseline energy models in relation to contextual factors

Oversimplifying occupant behaviour using static and standard schedules has been identified as a limitation of building energy simulation tools. This paper describes the use of hierarchical cluster analysis to establish the most typical indoor temperature profiles of Albanian dwellings based on monitored indoor temperatures in winter and summer, along with building and occupant surveys undertaken in 49 randomly selected dwellings in Tirana. Three statistically different pro‐ files were developed for each summer and winter, indicating that homes are used in different ways, as well as revealing possible comfortrequirements. Furthermore, statistical analysis was undertaken to determine the strength of the association between the clusters and contextual factors related to the building, household, and occupancy. A statistically significant association was found between the presence of children and the clusters in winter, suggesting that families with dependents use more energy. Building‐related factors including building type, building age, and wall insulation were found to be statistically significantly associated with clusters in summer. These profiles could provide more accurate outcomes of energy consumption of Albanian homes and energy savings from retrofits. They could also facilitate the development of low‐energy strategies and policies for specific households

Energy and thermal performance of apartment buildings in Albania: the case of a post-communist country

This paper undertakes a comparative evaluation of the energy and thermal performance of apartment buildings in Albania built both Pre-90 and Post-91 (a year that marks the change of the political system from communism to democracy in Albania). Building surveys, occupant surveys and continuous monitoring of outdoor and indoor environmental conditions during the summer and winter to allow for seasonal variations, were conducted in 29 case study flats randomly selected to represent both periods. Electricity bills were also provided for a full year. It was found that electricity consumption has been 22% lower in flats built Pre-90 and that the average temperature in living rooms were found to be very close to 29°C in summer and 16°C in winter in both Pre-90 and Post-91. Notwithstanding that measured average temperatures were similar in the two building cohorts, higher range and variance on mean indoor temperature has been found in summer in the flats built Pre-90, which has affected the thermal sensation votes of occupants living in them. It was found that over 60% of residents living in apartment buildings built Pre-90 were feeling cold in winter and hot in summer, compared to 30-40% of residents living in apartment buildings built Post-91, who felt cold in winter and hot in summer respectively. Although the findings cannot be treated as statistical generalization, the analysis provides an in-depth contextual insight into environmental, thermal and energy performances of flats in Albania, which would help inform future energy retrofitting programmes