An innovative approach to better understand hot discomfort, based on the measurement of global human responses, including physiological and sensory indicators - application to end users of mixed mode cooled buildings under tropical climate conditions

Comfort modelling is a critical scientific barrier to reaching better thermal satisfaction in buildings. It allows designers to combine different cooling systems better to target comfortable low-energy buildings in hot and tropical climates. Increasing computer performance offers new perspectives to use more refined thermo-physiological models against traditional normative ones. Also, new types of coupled cooling alternatives arise and set a need for adequate comfort assessment models.

Development of the adaptive model for thermal comfort in Japanese houses

This study was undertaken to investigate comfort temperatures and adaptive model in Japanese homes. We measured temperatures in the living rooms and bedrooms, and a thermal comfort survey of residents over a three year in Kanto region of Japan. The residents were found to be highly satisfied with the thermal environment of their houses. Significant seasonal differences were found in their comfort temperatures. The results showed that comfort temperature varied with changes in both the indoor and outdoor climate.

Field Survey on Indoor Thermal Environment in Small to Medium Sized Building with Packaged Air Conditioners

Recently, a lot of multiple packaged unit system is adopted in small to medium sized buildings in Japan. This system enables to control each packaged air conditioner (PAC) individually because multiple packaged units are placed decentrally. However, it is not clarified sufficiently how indoor environment is formed when PAC is working. This paper shows the measurement results of indoor thermal environment in a medium sized building with PAC in all season for the purpose of clarifying the current status of indoor environment and its issue.

New Life – Old Structure

Two thermal comfort surveys of people living in two types of naturally ventilatedhousing: traditional courtyard housing and apartment flats performed in Yazd Ilam arepresented in this article. The first study took place in the Iranian city of Yazd, whichexperiences a hot, dry climate. Over 420 subjects in 32 courtyard housing and 39 flatsresponded to thermal comfort questionnaires. At the same time physical and individualmeasurements were taken.

How adaptive comfort theories might influence future low energy office refurbishment strategies

With the UK commercial sector only replacing buildings at 1-1.5% per year adaptationsto existing buildings are needed to maintain comfort levels, while reducing energy useand carbon emissions. In this study, occupants of a refurbished office recorded theirthermal sensations, assessment of lighting and air movement, perceptions of comfort andtheir reactions to adaptive opportunities. The observed mean thermal sensation votes andthe overall comfort votes correlated best with mean diurnal internal and externaltemperatures, respectively.

THE INVESTIGATION OF PRESENT SITUATION ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN JILIN ARCHITECTURAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

On the environmental problem, the university is considered as the education organ to play a guidingrole, it will be very important materials to grasp the consumption situation of the energy for saving theenergy, making consuming energy standards in the future. But there are few reports of energyconsumption about the Chinese campus at present. This article is aimed at Jilin Architectural and CivilEngineering Institute, and the situation of various energy sources consumption was investigated byfield survey and questionnaires.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEASURES FOR WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY

To promote the effort for energy conservation, it is also important to estimate the indoor environmentalquality (IEQ) from the aspect of office workers productivity. In this paper, a field survey in a call-centerwas explained with the main result relating the indoor air temperature and the performance of thecommunicators. Then, an example of economical effect of changing the preset temperature of theair-conditioning system in summer was estimated based on the findings from the field survey.

SURVEY ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN JAPAN

In order to facilitate rational development on the efficient new ventilation system with new detectorsagainst the health problems caused by VOC in residential buildings, authors studied to clarify the actualIAQ conditions around occupied area. To grasp the contemporary circumstances andtransfer-mechanisms of VOC in houses, the actual data regarding the pollutants and its movementwere collected in 9 detached houses in Tochigi prefecture. In this paper, investigated results for indoorthermal environment, ventilation and indoor chemical pollutants are described.

FIELD SURVEY AND STATISTICS ANALYSIS ON IAQ, BUILDING PERFORMANCE AND OCCUPANT’S HEALTH OF 60 HOUSES IN JAPAN

In order to determine the causes of SHS (Sick House Syndrome), a field survey on indoor air quality and occupants’ health conditions was investigated in 60 houses in Japan. As a result, when houses that more than one occupant are “SHS” count as “Sick Hous

FIELD SURVEY ON THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN THE NIIGATA AREA

The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual conditions of the energy consumption of varioustypes of inhabited houses (e.g., wooden detached houses and condominiums) in the Niigata area. Afield survey was carried out from November 2002 to March 2005, and the energy consumption levelsfor the various uses were measured continuously. This paper describes the energy consumptions of alluses (e.g., electricity, oil, gas) in the house types.

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