thermal comfort

Buildings account for a substantial portion of global energy consumption, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are responsible for approximately 40% of the buildings’ energy consumption. A building façade, with HVAC, has a great influence on the internal environment. An optimization of the façade design and operation can help improve building energy efficiency.

Urban heat island, with the associated urban overheating, is a well-documented phenomenon, which demonstrates the hazard related to local climate change and the related negative impacts at environment, economic, social and public health level, with heavier consequences on the low income and more fragile segment of the population. The phenomenon takes origin by the positive thermal balance in the urban built environment mainly, depending on the synergic effect of different causes.

Research suggests that energy retrofit measures can have a positive impact on temperature, relative humidity, and can reduce the occurrence of damp and mould (Wang et al., 2022, Fisk et al., 2020). Furthermore, energy renovation offers an opportunity to improve living conditions and the health of occupants of social housing by reducing exposure to indoor air pollution and by improving thermal comfort (Wang et al., 2022, Patino and Siegel, 2018).

Achieving better energy efficiency requires dwellings to face a delicate equilibrium, balancing thermal comfort and indoor air quality. This longitudinal study uses crowdsourced data collected over a year from 15 residences in Santiago, Chile, to examine the intricate relationship between these two parameters and the houses' typology. Results highlight considerable variability in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and thermal comfort across the sample. PM concentrations are below the worldwide representative value, but the maximum values are above the representative maximum.

Personal Environmental Control Systems (PECS) enable to individually control the environment in the immediate surroundings of an occupant regarding the thermal, air quality, acoustic, and/or luminous domain without directly influencing the entire space and other occupants’ environment. Although many studies on the influence on the respective comfort and acceptance in relation to the different domains already exist and estimates of energy savings have already been made, PECS have not yet established themselves on the market across the board.

This summary highlights the benefits of PECS for occupants’ health, comfort, and cognitive performance. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, focusing on terms related to personalised conditioning, air quality, lighting, and acoustics. Relevant studies were identified and reviewed. 

Ensuring thermal comfort in air traffic control towers (ATCTs) is paramount, given the exacting demands of air traffic control, which require heightened levels of concentration and vigilance. ATCTs feature extensive glazed surfaces, leading to significant solar gains and heat loss within the indoor environment. To maintain thermally comfortable conditions throughout the year, air conditioning systems are employed to regulate the indoor climate, adjusting for varying thermal load.

Thermal comfort of adolescents (10-17 year olds) in school classrooms is an important but less explored topic. The classroom thermal environment impacts students comfort, learning, and health. Due to differences related to physiology and ability to influence their environments, children’s thermal comfort needs and even their interpretation of thermal comfort differs from adults.

Children spend about 80-90% of their time indoors, making the quality of indoor environments (IEQ) crucial, particularly since children are more susceptible to pollutants due to their developing bodies and higher relative air intake per body weight. This study examines the influence of various indoor environmental conditions on cognitive performance in primary school students. Data collected over the first three weeks from a total eight-week cognitive study are analysed, focusing on the impact of thermal comfort and CO2 levels as proxies for ventilation.