Significance of controls for achieving thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings.

During a field study of the thermal comfort of workers in natural ventilated office buildings in Oxford and Aberdeen, UK, we.re carried out which included information about use of building controls. The data was analysed to explore the effect the outdoor temperature has on the indoor temperature and how this is effected by occupants' use of environmental controls during the peak summer (June, July and August). The proportion of subjects using a control was related to indoor and outdoor temperatures to demonstrate the size of the effect The results suggest that the use of controls is also related to thermal sensation and their appropriate use is a significant part of adaptive behaviour to modify the indoor thermal conditions.