Cost-benefit analysis of the night-time ventilative cooling in office building

The indoor temperature can be controlled with different levels of accuracy depending on thebuilding and its HVAC system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potentialproductivity benefits of improved temperature control, and to apply the information for cost-benefit analyses of night-time ventilative cooling, which is a very energy efficient method ofreducing indoor daytime temperatures. We analysed the literature relating work performancewith temperature, and found a general decrement in work performance when temperaturesexceeded those associated with thermal neutrality. These studies included physiologicalmodelling, performance of various tasks in laboratory experiments and measured productivityat work in real buildings. The studies indicate an average 2% decrement in work performanceper degree centigrade temperature rise, when the temperature is above 25C. When we usethis relationship to evaluate night-time ventilative cooling, the resulting benefit-to-cost ratiovaries from 32 to 120.