Mapping comfort: an analysis method for understanding diversity in the thermal environment

This paper describes the development and uses of a new software program called cMap that calculates and visualizes thermal comfort parameters throughout a space and over time.      While some existing tools provide comfort calculations either over space or throughout time, cMap provides both calculations, providing a more complete picture of our thermal environment.  Since the program works as a companion to EnergyPlus, a cMap analysis can be performed quickly, fitting into existing analysis workflows.       Such a tool can be used to predict areas and periods of thermal discomfort, provide additional support for the use of energy-efficiency measures, and promote the use of thermal diversity in the built environment.