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

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

Development of a window opening algorithm based on adaptive thermal comfort to predict occupant behavior in Japanese dwellings

Window opening behavior and thermal comfort were monitored in relation to the thermal environment over a 4 year period in the living rooms and the bedrooms of dwellings in the Kanto region of Japan. 36 144 sets of physical and subjective data were collected from 243 residents of 120 dwellings. This paper explores relationships between the different variables in the data. The likelihood of windows being open depended on the three modes of operation of the dwelling, free running (FR), heating (HT) or cooling (CL). In the FR mode, the likelihood was much higher than in either the CL or the HT modes. The likelihood that a window is open correlated well with both indoor temperature and outdoor air temperature in the FR Mode. The indoor comfort temperature correlated well with the running mean of the outdoor temperature. Window opening behavior as predicted by logistic regression analysis is in agreement with the measured data. The deadband of window opening was narrower, and the constraint on window opening was smaller than had previously been found in studies in office buildings. Equations are given to quantify these relations and to enable window opening and comfort temperature to be predicted from outdoor temperature

Considering the impact of situation-specific motivations and constraints in the design of naturally ventilated and hybrid buildings

A simple logical model of the interaction between a building and its occupants is presented based on the principle that if free to do so, people will adjust their posture, clothing or available building controls (windows, blinds, doors, fans, and thermostats) with the aim of achieving or restoring comfort and reducing discomfort. These adjustments are related to building design in two ways: first the freedom to adjust depends on the availability and ease-of-use of control options; second the use of controls affects building comfort and energy performance. Hence it is essential that these interactions are considered in the design process. The model captures occupant use of controls in response to thermal stimuli (too warm, too cold etc.) and non-thermal stimuli (e.g. desire for fresh air). The situation-specific motivations and constraints on control use are represented through trigger temperatures at which control actions occur, motivations are included as negative constraints and incorporated into a single constraint value describing the specifics of each situation. The values of constraints are quantified for a range of existing buildings in Europe and Pakistan. The integration of the model within a design flow is proposed and the impact of different levels of constraints demonstrated. It is proposed that to minimise energy use and maximise comfort in naturally ventilated and hybrid buildings the designer should take the following steps: 1. Provide unconstrained low energy adaptive control options where possible, 2. Avoid problems with indoor air quality which provide motivations for excessive ventilation rates, 3. Incorporate situation-specific adaptive behaviour of occupants in design simulations, 4. Analyse the robustness of designs against variations in patterns of use and climate, and 5. Incorporate appropriate comfort standards into the operational building controls (e.g. BEMS)

Development of adaptive algorithms for the operation of windows, fans, and doors to predict thermal comfort and energy use in Pakistani buildings

This year-round field investigation of the use of building controls (windows, doors and fans) in 33 Pakistani offices and commercial buildings focuses on 1) how the occupants' behavior is related to thermal comfort, 2) how people modify the indoor environment and 3) how we can predict the occupants' behavior. We have found that the use of building controls depends on climate and season. The use of these controls has a cooling effect on the occupant through increasing the air movement or the ventilation. The behavioral model yields adaptive algorithms that can be applied in building thermal simulations to predict the effects of the occupants' behavior on energy-saving building design

Patterns of thermal preference and Visual Thermal Landscaping model in the workplace

The main purpose of research on occupant behaviour is to enhance building energy performance. However, it is difficult to reduce the energy use without understanding the occupant, their needs and preferences. Individual differences and preferences for the thermal environment in relation to the spatial context are overlooked in the main stream of research. This study investigates the patterns of occupant thermal preference based on individual differences in perceiving the thermal environment to enhance user comfort and energy performance. A novel method of Visual Thermal Landscaping is used, which is a qualitative method to analyse occupant comfort and user behaviour according to the spatial context. This method drives away from the notion of ‘thermal neutrality’ and generic results, rather it opens to details and meaning through a qualitative analysis of personal-comfort, based on individual differences and spatial context information. Field test studies of thermal comfort were applied in five office buildings in the UK, Sweden and Japan with overall 2,313 data sets. The primary contribution of the study was the recognition of four patterns of thermal preference, including consistent directional preference; fluctuating preference; high tolerance and sensitive to thermal changes; and high tolerance and not-sensitive to thermal changes. The results were further examined in a longitudinal field test study of thermal comfort. In several cases, occupant thermal comfort and preferences were observed to be influenced by the impact of outdoor conditions, when the windows were fixed. Practical solutions for research, practice and building design were recommended with direct implications on occupant comfort and energy use

A comparative analysis of thermal acceptability in offices in India and Japan

India's building energy consumption is increasing rapidly. Fukushima disaster reshaped Japan's energy perspective. Adaptive comfort standards need to be developed for these countries. We conducted a fourteen-month thermal comfort survey in India and a summer season study in Japan. This data was analyzed to develop an algorithm to predict thermal acceptability (TA). A direct question resulted in higher TA, than otherwise in Japan, perhaps due to deep-rooted cultural ethos. This trend is reversed in India. At 24 - 30 °C and at 27 - 28 °C of indoor temperature, 80 % thermal acceptability could be achieved in Japan and India respectively.The Japan Society for Promotion of Science and The University of Tokyo funded these surveys. We thank them. We also thank all the subjects and Mukta Ramola for their help in the surveys. The analysis in part was supported by Qatar University through NPRP-7-143-2-070. We acknowledge their support.Scopu

Adaptive Thermal Comfort in Japanese Houses during the Summer Season: Behavioral Adaptation and the Effect of Humidity

In order to clarify effect of humidity on the room temperatures reported to be comfortable, an occupant thermal comfort and behavior survey was conducted for five summers in the living rooms and bedrooms of residences in the Kanto region of Japan. We have collected 13,525 thermal comfort votes from over 239 residents of 120 homes, together with corresponding measurements of room temperature and humidity of the air. The residents were generally well-satisfied with the thermal environment of their houses, with or without the use of air-conditioning, and thus were well-adapted to their thermal conditions. The humidity was found to have very little direct effect on the comfort temperature. However, the comfort temperature was strongly related to the reported skin moisture. Behavioral adaptation such as window opening and fan use increase air movement and improve thermal comfort

Study on insulation retrofitting based on thermal environment and the CASBEE health checklist evaluation

The Carbon Neutral Declaration has been issued in Japan and various initiatives are introducing to realise it, but in the housing sector it is essential to improve the energy efficiency of the stock of over 50 million homes. However, the progress of insulation retrofitting is slow. In particular, there are many challenges in implementing insulation retrofitting in condominiums, including the requirements of residents consent. This study aims to clarify that thermal environment data and the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) health checklist for motivating thermal insulation retrofitting and to support the effectiveness of this approach. The thermal environment data compares energy consumption and room temperature before and after the retrofit and quantifies the effect of the retrofit. The CASBEE health checklist displays health characteristics and health rankings for each room and health factor by answering 50 questions about the indoor environment in winter. These are considered to visualise the effects of the renovation of respondents' homes and enable them to realise the need for renovation. This method was applied to Ta housing complex in Kanagawa prefecture and X housing complex in Tokyo, where insulation retrofitting had already been carried out, and an attempt was made to verify the effectiveness of the method by comparing the environmental improvements resulting from insulation retrofitting and the differences in residents' responses. The results of the Ta complex showed that the room temperature was 20°C in the living room and 18°C or higher in the entrance hall, indicating that good environment had been achieved; the CASBEE health checklist also showed an improvement in health characteristics and health ranking in both the Ta and X complexes. The results suggest that the effects of retrofitting in terms of both physical and psychological health are significant. In the future, the results will be presented to the management associations of non-retrofitted dwellings and, in combination with experience sessions in retrofitted dwellings, will be verified as an effective motivational tool

Characteristics of thermal comfort in the offices of North-East India

In the context of climate change and global warming, the nexus between energy and buildings is self-explanatory. As per the ministry of statistics and program implementation, Govt. of India data, the primary energy consumption in the building sector is 37% of total primary energy consumption and about 24% to total CO2 emissions. It is evident from the research that thermal comfort, energy efficiency in buildings and sustainable architecture are interlinked and interdependent. The present study is carried out in the Naturally ventilated offices of North-East India at three representative locations i.e., Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong, from warm and humid, Cool and humid and Cold and cloudy climates, respectively. Year-long thermal comfort surveys were carried out in 81 naturally ventilated office buildings, collecting 2326 samples spread over three locations from July 2016 to June 2017. Data analysis shows that neutral temperature through regression analysis is 26.4°C, 24.7°C, and 23.4°C for Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong, respectively. Preferred temperature and relative humidity in Tezpur, Imphal and Shillong offices are 24°C, 23.5 °C and 22 °C and 55%, 55% and 63%, respectively. Probit analysis showed that occupants are more adaptive toward the warmer side of the thermal sensation scale