The thermoneutral zone (TNZ) reflects the range of ambient temperatures where no regulatory changes in metabolic heat production or evaporative heat loss occur. Indications exist that the ambient temperature range wherein a subject is feeling thermal comfortable, i.e. the thermal comfort zone (TCZ), is larger compared to the TNZ. From both the building energy-use and a health perspective this could be highly beneficial. The objective of this study is to explore the TNZ and TCZ of individual subjects, in relation to a given range of ambient temperatures.

This paper is a synthesis of the results from the project INTEWON and related studies. The link between the physiological thermoneutral zone (TNZ) and the thermal comfort zone (TCZ) is discussed. Secondly, we discuss the relation between thermal preference and thermal sensation and how physiological parameters, such as skin temperature can predict thermal sensation. It is shown that the identification of subject categories, based on their thermal preference, increases the predictive value of skin temperatures substantially.

The indoor climate is an important factor with respect to human health and comfort since we spend most of our time, no matter if awake or asleep, in the built environment. Building occupants influence their thermal environments to maximize thermal comfort by inducing thermoregulatory behaviour. In the last decades, overheating of cities and buildings became an important issue. However, the effect of a mild hot environment on human thermoregulatory behaviour remains unclear.  To study the effects of a mild warm environment we propose a mild warm acclimation study.

The interactions between building occupants and control systems have a high influence on energy consumption and on internal environmental quality. In the perspective of a future of “nearly-zero” energy buildings, it is crucial to analyse the energy-related interactions deeply to predict a realistic energy use during the design stage. Since the reaction to thermal, acoustic or visual stimulus is not the same for every human being, monitoring the behaviour inside buildings is an essential step to assert differences in energy consumption related to different interactions.

Despite being provided by mechanical ambient conditioning systems or not, all building have to a certain extent a degree of adaptation. Studies have shown that with either a weak or strong dependency to outdoor conditions there always are adaptive opportunities that might have a significant impact on comfort perception.

Japan’s energy perspective underwent a paradigm shift after the 2011 earthquake. It put in place the ‘setsuden’ (energy saving) campaign. This recommended minimum and maximum temperature settings for summer and winter, without enough empirical evidence. Many large offices adhered to these, often running them in naturally ventilated (NV) mode. In this context, we surveyed four buildings in Tokyo in summer 2012.  About 435 participants provided 2042 sets of data. It contained thermal responses, simultaneous environmental recordings and observations on the use of controls.

Providing cooling effect with low energy consumption makes the exploration of air flow utilization significative. In ASHRAE Standard 55-2010, the cooling effects of elevated air movement are evaluated using the SET index as computed by the Gagge 2-Node model of whole-body heat balance. Air movement in reality has many forms, which might create heat flows and thermal sensations that cannot be accurately predicted by a simple whole-body model, and the affected body surface might be variably nude (e.g. face) or clothed.

In this paper, a global map of maximum indoor operational temperatures of buildings is presented. Maximum indoor operational temperatures were evaluated around the world using both PMV and ATC.

In a case study on outdoor mist cooling, 141 people attending an open campus event were surveyed over 2 hot summer days. Nozzles mounted on an oscillating fan sprayed about 18L/h of mist with average droplet diameter of 25μm. Subjects stood in the misting area where they wished. Time spent in the misting area was recorded. Skin temperature of the forearm and face were taken with IR surface thermometers before entering and after leaving the misted area.

Central to this study is the significance of making adaptation decisions whose success in achieving resilience to indoor overheating, remain effective both in the short term and long term future. This is in the context of climate change and the varying ranges of uncertain trajectories that may happen during a building’s service life in a developing country (Kenya). The study takes a quantified approach to guiding adaptation decisions by using a methodology that allows appraisal of different design options for an extended timescale (1990 to 2100).