Adaptive Thermal Comfort

This chapter describes the method of a field study on the thermal comfort of occupants in a medium sized air-conditioned office building located in Sydney’s inner west and characterized by a subtropical climate. This study is a new approach to the indoor environment in office buildings which adopt the adaptive air-conditioning model in moderate, hot and humid, and cold climatic districts.

Between the techniques of climatic chamber and field study methodologies for thermal comfort experiments, a hybrid research design that combines both approaches may enhance the value of collected data by using typical buildings as field study while controlling the indoor environment in the same way as a climate chamber.
This research adopts the longitudinal method in data collection, studying a certain number of subjects over many visits. Therefore, the repetition of the observations from an individual correlates and validates the results under constant conditions.

This survey of thermal comfort in classrooms aimed to define empirically the preferred temperatures, neutral temperatures and acceptable temperature ranges for Australian school children, and to compare them with findings from adult populations. The survey was conducted in a mixture of air-conditioned, evaporative-cooled and naturally ventilated classrooms in nine schools located in three distinct subtropical climate zones during the summer of 2013. A total of
2850 questionnaires were collected from both primary (grade) and secondary (high) schools. An indoor operative temperature of about 22.58C was found to be the students’ neutral and preferred temperature, which is generally cooler
than expected for adults under the same thermal environmental conditions. Despite the lower-than-expected neutrality,
the school children demonstrated considerable adaptability to indoor temperature variations, with one thermal sensation unit equating to approximately 48C operative temperature. Working on the industry-accepted assumption that an acceptable range of indoor operative temperatures corresponds to group mean thermal sensations of 20.85 through to 10.85, the present analysis indicates an acceptable summertime range for Australian students from 19.5 to 26.68C. The analyses also revealed between-school differences in thermal sensitivity, with students in locations exposed
to wider weather variations showing greater thermal adaptability than those in more equable weather districts

Considering school students spend up to one third of their day inside classrooms, it’s surprising how few detailed empirical studies have been conducted into how the thermal environment of classrooms affects students’ comfort and performance. Whereas PMV tends to exaggerate warm discomfort for adults, the literature suggests it underestimate children’s actual thermal sensation, but there is no coherent explanation for this in terms of metabolic or other physiological differences to date. The aim of this study was to conduct a thermal comfort survey in actual classrooms with a view to empirically defining preferred temperatures, neutral temperatures, and acceptable temperature ranges for Australian school children, and to compare them with findings from adult populations. The study informs a thermal comfort (air conditioning) policy being developed for Australian schools. The survey was conducted in a mixture of Air-Conditioned (AC), Evaporative-Cooled (EC), and Naturally-Ventilated (NV) classrooms in 10 schools during the Austral summer of 2013. Both Primary (grade) school and high schools were included in the sample. The survey was conducted twice a day (morning and afternoon), and the survey period varied between schools, from one week up to three weeks. After quality assurance processing a total of 3,129 questionnaires were retained from the sample of students and 138 samples were from the teachers. An indoor operative temperature of about 22.5°C was found to be the students’ neutral and preferred temperature, which is generally cooler than expected of adults under the same thermal environmental conditions, confirming earlier research findings in the thermal comfort literature. Working on the industry-accepted assumption that an acceptable range of indoor operative temperatures corresponds to mean thermal sensations of -0.5 through +0.5 (ASHRAE 2013; ISO 2005), the present analysis indicates an acceptable summertime range for primary and high school students from about 18.5 through to about 26.5oC operative temperature. The paper concludes with hypotheses to explain differences between thermal comfort of children and adults.

In Pakistan, reinforced concrete frame houses are the most widely used and common construction technology. In a country that experiences extreme hot and cold seasons throughout the year, buildings need to be adaptable to the climate to improve the thermal comfort of the inhabitants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve thermal comfort in reinforced concrete frame houses using passive design and energy efficiency measures in Quetta, Pakistan. Thermal comfort of a representative house was investigated using a building performance simulation. The building model created in EnergyPlus was validated by comparing it with on-site monitored data in both summer and winter seasons. The model was calibrated using statistical methods. Then, the calibrated model was used to perform a whole year simulation in which various orientations, ventilation, passive design, and energy efficiency strategies were applied to perform parametric analysis for the improvement of thermal comfort. The best fit-to-context thermal comfort model was selected, and the potential of bioclimatic design strategies was quantified. The results indicate that by adopting passive design strategies comfort hours can be increased from 43% to 59%. The results of the study revealed many findings which could be useful for architects and building engineers to set a future direction for improvement of indoor comfort in Quetta as well as in many other areas of Balochistan Province in Pakistan.

A warming climate, increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events, and the heat island effect, are cumulatively expected to exacerbate environmental thermal loading on urban buildings. This in turn could lead to increased summertime overheating, with potential for causing adverse effects to the health and wellbeing of building occupants. The means for addressing such heat-related risks are likely to influence energy consumption and CO2 emission trends, particularly in residential areas where active cooling has traditionally received less attention in the United Kingdom. If energy efficient approaches are not adopted, future patterns of urban living are likely to adversely influence the car-bon reduction target prescribed by the Climate Change Act 2008.

This thesis is concerned with identifying adaptations for addressing summertime overheating risk in temperate climate urban residential buildings, and ways in which both authorities and designers can facilitate such measures. The method for addressing this considered the simulation of a residential street canyon within the London heat island, with the findings discussed with reference to a multidisciplinary evidence base. The findings highlighted that accounting for the warmer urban microclimate had a beneficial 12.9% reduction in the energy consumption estimate, although at the expense of increased overheating risk. Improving the thermal performance of the envelope had a patent energy use benefit, although the mixed influence on overheating highlighted that thresh-old exceedance increased while ‘severity’ was reduced. Adding adaptive capabilities to this improved envelope demonstrated that ‘comfort’ could be achieved without the need for energy intensive active solutions. The argument against the widespread adoption of mechanical cooling as a principal adaptation was highlighted by an estimated 0.4 K increase in nocturnal canyon temperatures and 77 tons of CO2 released to the climate. In addition to the said findings, the study verified a method pathway that included the use of an Urban Weather Generator to account for microclimatic variations in building energy simulations.

This research presents the findings of a field study on the thermal comfort of occupants in a medium sized air-conditioned office building in Revesby (located in Sydney’s inner west and characterized by a subtropical climate). This study is a new approach to the indoor environment in office buildings which adopt the adaptive air-conditioning model in moderate, hot and humid, and cold climatic districts.
A total sum of 30 subjects were involved in this longitudinal field experiment and produced more than 2386 sets of data for winter and summer. The collection of indoor climatic data by light and portable moving instrumentation complies fully with the accuracy requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard-55 and ISO 7726. The questionnaire was based on the standard for thermal environment survey and was modified slightly to suit the research purpose. The study manually tuned the building's HVAC set point using the ASHRAE adaptive comfort standard 55-2010, based on a running seven-day mean outdoor temperature, but capping the set-point band at 26oC and 18oC in summer and winter, respectively. By using the adaptive comfort algorithm for naturally ventilated buildings, a new model of thermal comfort in office buildings was developed called ‘adaptive air-conditioning’.
The research confirmed that occupants of an air-conditioned building are capable of adapting to variable indoor temperatures like the occupants in naturally ventilated buildings, and the notion of ‘adaptive comfort HVAC’ is feasible. Although thermal comfort is covered extensively in this study, emphasis was also given to the consequential economical and ecological outcomes during the operational phase of the office building in Sydney (the most energy demanding phase).

Regulating clothing is one of the most obvious behavioural responses to changing thermal conditions. The extent of clothing, in turn, affects thermal sensation and acceptability. A lack of extensive thermal comfort field studies in India has meant that there has been very limited data on clothing related occupant behaviour in Indian offices until now. This paper aims to understand clothing norms and practices in Indian offices using data gathered via an extensive field study of thermal comfort in India. It uses the office occupants’ response to thermal sensation, acceptability and preference questions as experienced “right here, right now” from more than 6000 surveys together with simultaneous measurement of environmental conditions, clothing and metabolic activity. These surveys are administered in five climate zones across three seasons in air-conditioned, naturally ventilated and mixed mode buildings. The paper analyses clothing insulation as a behavioural response to changes in the environment. The variation in clothing insulation with observed indoor and outdoor temperature is analysed for different seasons, building types and cities. The study also examines the extent of behavioural regulation in clothing between the male and female office workers. The results suggest that women tend to wear lower clothing insulation on an average in summer compared to men. In naturally ventilated and mixed mode buildings, variability in clothing insulation was higher compared to air conditioned buildings, emphasizing the role of clothing as an adaptive measure.

This research presents the findings of a field study on the thermal comfort of occupants in a medium sized air-conditioned office building in Revesby (located in Sydney’s inner west and characterized by a subtropical climate). This study is a new approach to the indoor environment in office buildings which adopt the adaptive air-conditioning model in moderate, hot and humid, and cold climatic districts.
A total sum of 30 subjects were involved in this longitudinal field experiment and produced more than 2386 sets of data for winter and summer. The collection of indoor climatic data by light and portable moving instrumentation complies fully with the accuracy requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard-55 and ISO 7726. The questionnaire was based on the standard for thermal environment survey and was modified slightly to suit the research purpose. The study manually tuned the building's HVAC set point using the ASHRAE adaptive comfort standard 55-2010, based on a running seven-day mean outdoor temperature, but capping the set-point band at 26oC and 18oC in summer and winter, respectively. By using the adaptive comfort algorithm for naturally ventilated buildings, a new model of thermal comfort in office buildings was developed called ‘adaptive air-conditioning’.
The research confirmed that occupants of an air-conditioned building are capable of adapting to variable indoor temperatures like the occupants in naturally ventilated buildings, and the notion of ‘adaptive comfort HVAC’ is feasible. Although thermal comfort is covered extensively in this study, emphasis was also given to the consequential economical and ecological outcomes during the operational phase of the office building in Sydney (the most energy demanding phase).

In subtropical southeast Queensland, a common to improving thermal comfort in existing school classrooms is to use air-conditioners. However, increasing reliance on air-conditioners in schools adds to energy costs and increases carbon emissions. Greater understanding of low energy approaches to improving thermal comfort is needed to address this problem. The purpose of this research was to firstly, evaluate the impact of four passive cooling strategies retrofitted to existing classroom buildings and their immediate surrounds in a Brisbane school. The retrofitted interventions were: 1) stack ventilation, 2) cool roof, 3) shade sails over courtyards, and 4) schoolyard greening. Secondly, the research explored the adaptive behaviour of teachers during times of perceived over-heating in classrooms. The research used a case study methodology that combined quantitative (temperature) and qualitative (perceptions of teachers) data gathering within an overarching systems framework. Classroom temperatures were collected before and after interventions from 2012 to 2015. Teachers participated in an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews in 2015.
Results indicate that the duration of high classroom temperatures decreased following each intervention. However, the reduction in classroom temperature was not enough to be within an acceptable comfort range for summer months, particularly during hot and humid weather. Common adaptive behaviours exhibited by teachers included the use of windows and ceiling fans to increase air movement, and scheduling more intense teaching in the cooler, morning session. The research identified times in the school year when classrooms with passive, retrofitted interventions were within an acceptable comfort range. However, a significant finding was that air-conditioning some classrooms and not others was seen to be an equity issue. The research makes an important contribution to the information available to schools on low energy approaches to improving thermal comfort. These approaches include reducing heat load in existing classrooms by retrofitting passive cooling strategies and increasing awareness amongst teachers of the potential for adaptive behaviours to decrease the use of mechanical cooling and heating.

This paper reviews the evolution of Fanger's heat balance equation in regard of adaptive opportunities. Heat balance and adaptive response are integrated into one model as two fundamental aspects of human-environment interaction that define thermal comfort perception, rather than being seen as two concepts of alternative comfort paradigms. The paper suggests to extent Fanger's model with a heat storage term in order to account for comfort perception under transient thermal conditions, and to review Fanger's modelling assumptions in order to allow for a greater variety of adaptive response options. In the presented model heat exchange is modulated through adaptation of physiological, environmental and behavioural parameters in the human-environment system defined through Fanger's heat exchange equations. A computational prototype is implemented to determine 'comfortable' values and ranges of the six comfort dimensions alternatively to Fanger's comfort indices. Thereby values of for example 'comfortable' clothing and metabolic rate are results rather than necessary input parameters, which are difficult to determine. This approach allows generating design advice for physical, organisational and social environments based on heat balance calculation in the six-dimensional opportunity space defined through Fanger's comfort equation. A starting point for the development of a dynamic adaptive comfort model is set.

The central problem addressed by this paper is the fuel poverty experienced in Chile as a result of poor thermal performance of dwellings, a problem commonly encountered throughout the country, even in new housing. The domestic consumption of fuels used for thermal regulation of dwellings accounts for a large proportion of national energy use, gas emissions, and household expenditures. This study aims to alleviate these issues by presenting building designs that can provide comfortable indoor thermal conditions without a need for conventional energy fuels. Following the findings of field studies, the design of standard dwellings has been optimized using computational studies that were conducted with consideration for the country’s main climatic regions. The results of this study have shown that the application of passive design measures can be sufficient for achieving thermal comfort conditions, thereby reducing the use of domestic fuels to near-zero levels in most of the country.

India has a largely cooling dominated climate where space cooling accounts for approximately 31% of the energy consumed by commercial buildings. Deeper market penetration of air conditioning systems, higher income levels driving higher comfort expectations, and growing floor space have led to a steep rise in associated carbon emissions. India needs to adopt an energy efficient regime in which governments, businesses and individuals transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated, while still maintaining high levels of occupant satisfaction. Two diverse approaches are practiced in India to achieve energy efficiency. The first relies on passive design strategies based on traditional wisdom. The second relies on high-performance HVAC building conditioning systems. Most Indian climate zones offer opportunities to design and operate buildings as naturally ventilated or mixed-mode. But such design practices need to be promoted on the basis of scientific studies related to occupant behavior, comfort and associated energy consumption. This paper evaluates occupant satisfaction in a mix of consciously-designed air conditioned and mixed-mode buildings based on online surveys, and limited physical measurements. The survey includes questions about thermal comfort, indoor air quality, air movement, acoustics and adaptive controls such as windows and fans. The paper offers an understanding about the perception and behavior of occupants in mixed-mode buildings in various climate zones of India to help identify strategies to promote efficient mixed-mode buildings in both India and other regions.

A climate responsive building makes the greatest use of climatic elements (air temperature, relative humidity, wind, irradiation and rainfall) to reduce energy use for heating and cooling. Based on topography and distinct climatic features, Nepal is broadly classified into three climatic regions: subtropical , temperate and cold. With the introduction of modern construction technologies in the country, the building sector has adopted uniform design and building techniques which is neglecting local climate in all over the Nepal. In this research climatic data of subtropical region, temperate region and cold region has been collected and analyzed with the help of bioclimatic chart and Mahoney table. In subtropical region, most of the months are relatively hot and provision of air movement while designing a building is strongly recommended. In temperate region, most of the months are relatively cool and passive solar heating strategies are recommended. As few months (May to September) are hot, provision of air movement (passive cooling strategy) is also recommended. Cold region has severe cold climate and passive solar heating strategies are strongly recommended to incorporate in the design. These building design recommendations can be helpful for planners and architects to make general decisions at early design stage to develop more climate responsive buildings.

In Pakistan, reinforced concrete frame houses are the most widely used and common construction technology. In a country that experiences extreme hot and cold seasons throughout the year, buildings need to be adaptable to the climate to improve the thermal comfort of the inhabitants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve thermal comfort in reinforced concrete frame houses using passive design and energy efficiency measures in Quetta, Pakistan. Thermal comfort of a representative house was investigated using a building performance simulation. The building model created in EnergyPlus was validated by comparing it with on-site monitored data in both summer and winter seasons. The model was calibrated using statistical methods. Then, the calibrated model was used to perform a whole year simulation in which various orientations, ventilation, passive design, and energy efficiency strategies were applied to perform parametric analysis for the improvement of thermal comfort. The be...

Se presenta memoria fotografica de avaces logrados durante el primer bimestre de ejecución del proyecto "Reconversión inmobiliara para dotar a la vivienda unifamiliar de espacios externos multiuso, ambientlamente amigables. Caso Chetumal". Iniciado el 16 de septiembre del 2016,  el    es al 19 de noviembre del 2016.  Ubicación del inmueble objeto de esta reconversión puntual:  2ndo Retorno de Carranza 566 (frente a Notaría 54), Fcto. Framboyanes, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, CP 77034, México.

This paper describes the practical application of an Adaptive Thermal Comfort Policy for schools buildings in Australia. To date decisions about where and when to install air-conditioning in schools have been based on an isotherm on the climate map of the region in which they operate. The ASHRAE 55-2010R adaptive model was used as the basis for the thermal comfort criteria with an exponentially weighted
running mean outdoor temperature for input. Two metrics have been proposed for the diagnosis of overheating: a) % of occupied hours during which indoor operative temperature exceeds the upper limit (80% acceptability), and b) cumulated degree-hours based on an indoor operative temperature baseline of the upper limit (80% acceptability). Indoor microclimatic data was collected from these schools with simultaneous application of thermal comfort questionnaires. Data from these field studies reinforces the adoption of the Adaptive Thermal Comfort Policy, stimulating naturally ventilated buildings, increasing adaptive opportunities and behavior within these indoor environments before resorting to air- conditioning as the main provider of thermal comfort

Considering school students spend up to one third of their day inside classrooms, it’s surprising how few detailed empirical studies have been conducted into how the thermal environment of classrooms affects students’ comfort and performance. Whereas PMV tends to exaggerate warm discomfort for adults, the literature suggests it underestimate children’s actual thermal sensation, but there is no coherent explanation for this in terms of metabolic or other physiological differences to date. The aim of this study was to conduct a thermal comfort survey in actual classrooms with a view to empirically defining preferred temperatures, neutral temperatures, and acceptable temperature ranges for Australian school children, and to compare them with findings from adult populations. The study informs a thermal comfort (air conditioning) policy being developed for Australian schools. The survey was conducted in a mixture of Air-Conditioned (AC), Evaporative-Cooled (EC), and Naturally-Ventilated ...

Free-running buildings (i.e. naturally ventilated buildings with no mechanical systems for heating or cooling) have the potential to be much more energy efficient than air-conditioned buildings. This paper is based on approximately 3200 instantaneous thermal comfort and 1500 long term background survey datasets from a large scale field study conducted in free-running Indian office buildings. Responses to air movement satisfaction and air movement preference questions, together with concurrent measurements of indoor environmental parameters of air and globe temperature, relative humidity and air velocity are used for this study. The paper gives an insight into the operation of ceiling fans and windows, and the range of air velocity experienced by office workers in free-running office buildings. It gives the relationship between measured indoor air velocity, concurrent air and globe temperature and relative humidity. Instantaneous responses are correlated with the on-site observations on window and ceiling fan operation, as well as indoor environmental measurements. The assessment of preferred air velocity from ceiling fans and operable windows as an adaptive measure in this paper contributes to the development of better designed free-running office buildings in India.

Retrofitting heritage buildings for energy efficiency is not always easy where cultural values are highly concerned, which requires an integrated approach. This paper aims to assess the potential of applying passive retrofitting scenarios to enhance indoor thermal comfort of heritage
buildings in North Africa, as a hot climate, little attention has been paid to retrofit built heritage in that climate. A mixed-mode ventilation residential building in Cairo, Egypt, was selected as a case study. The study combines field measurements and observations with energy simulations. A simulation model was created and calibrated on the basis of monitored data in the reference building, and the thermal comfort range was evaluated. Sets of passive retrofitting scenarios were proposed. The results (based on the ASHRAE-55-2020 adaptive comfort model at 90% acceptability limits) showed that the annual thermal comfort in the reference building is very low, i.e., 31.4%. The application of hybrid passive retrofitting scenarios significantly impacts indoor thermal comfort in the reference building, where annual comfort hours of up to 66% can be achieved. The originality of this work lies in identifying the most effective energy measures to improve indoor thermal comfort that are optimal from a conservation point of view. The findings contribute to set a comprehensive retrofitting tool that avoids potential risks for the conservation of residential heritage buildings in hot climates.

India is witnessing unprecedented growth trends in building construction, particularly office spaces. Indian offices are designed to operate at 22.5 ± 1°C all year round to meet the stringent “Class A” specifications outlined by international standards in the absence of an India-specific comfort standard. This paper proposes an India Model for Adaptive Comfort – IMAC – based on the field surveys administered in 16 buildings in three seasons and five cities, representative of five Indian climate zones. A total of 6330 responses were gathered from naturally ventilated, mixed mode and air-conditioned office buildings using instantaneous thermal comfort surveys. Occupants in naturally ventilated Indian offices were found to be more adaptive than the prevailing ASHRAE and EN models would suggest. According to the IMAC model, neutral temperature in naturally ventilated buildings varies from 19.6 to 28.5 °C for 30-day outdoor running mean air temperatures ranging from 12.5 to 31 °C. This i...

Overheating is a problem in existing timber classroom buildings in South East Queensland. In a case study school passive cooling strategies were retrofitted to six classroom buildings and their immediate surrounds between 2012 to 2014: stack ventilation, cool roof, shade sails over courtyards and schoolyard greening. This research project investigates how effective the strategies are in reducing heat inside the classroom by analysing quantitative data (classroom temperature) and qualitative data (perceptions of Teachers and Principal). This paper reports how the research project began and the results of applying an overheating analysis metric to the classroom temperature across summer terms, with inconclusive results. Uncontrolled variables such as climatic factors and building use are discussed. Another strategy being investigated is the range of adaptive actions Teachers engage in to reduce thermal discomfort from heat. The Teacher is regarded as the main occupant with control of the classroom environment. Understanding the current range of adaptive actions teachers engage in, especially in naturally ventilated classrooms, could provide an understanding of low energy social practices in the school. This research aims to synthesize quantitative data with qualitative data to assess the effectiveness of the passive cooling strategies and create informed recommendations to increase adaptive actions within classrooms towards a low-carbon occupation of existing classrooms.

In subtropical southeast Queensland, a common approach to improving thermal comfort in existing classrooms is to use air-conditioners. However increasing reliance on air-conditioners in schools adds to energy costs and increases carbon emissions. Greater understanding of low energy approaches to improving thermal comfort is needed to address this problem. This paper increases understanding of low energy approaches to improving thermal comfort in existing school buildings. In a case study school in Brisbane the impacts of a number of passive cooling interventions to classroom buildings and their surrounds were studied together with the current adaptive behaviours of teachers during perceived overheating in classrooms. The impact of the interventions on classrooms was evaluated through quantitative data, classroom temperature, collected over 2012 to 2015 and qualitative data, perceptions of teachers of the classrooms, though an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with teachers and the Principal in 2015. This paper discusses key findings from the case study: current adaptive actions of teachers and the social and cultural aspects of thermal comfort in classrooms. A significant finding was that airconditioning some classrooms and not others in the school was seen as an equity issue. Implications from this study could inform a pathway for low energy occupation of classrooms in southeast Queensland.

Background and objectives: Thermal comfort is very essential for a comfortable stay in any indoor space. Comfort
conditions of indoor spaces are influenced by parameters like air movement, humidity, air temperature, etc. The aim of
this research is to assess the air movement preferences by the occupants in classrooms of the selected higher education
institutes in hot humid climate of India. Methods/statistical analysis: Surveys were conducted in all the three seasons of
the year as per ASHRAE standard procedures. Environmental variables were measured in classrooms while questionnaires
were distributed to the occupants simultaneously. A total of 361 students were surveyed with 1444 data sets for the whole
year. Findings: Outdoor (Tout) temperatures were recorded and regression analysis has been done to find the relationship
between the mean outdoor temperatures with the indoor operative temperatures (Top) recorded. The acceptance of air
movement in classrooms during summer is 10–15.4%, in moderate season it is 5.6–30% and during winter it is up to 58%.
Improvements/application: This study enables to understand the influence of air movement preference on occupant’s
thermal comfort in classrooms of hot and humid climate of India. This will help in creating a comfortable environment
in classrooms of higher education through placement and designing of openings for increased air movement thereby
improving the thermal comfort conditions. This research assessed the movement of air in the classrooms of higher
education and the occupants air movement preference for thermal comfort. This study is a starting point for the adaptive
thermal comfort research in hot and humid climate of Vijayawada region

Current climate predictions are showing that Australia can expect warmer summers and increased number and severity of heat waves. This changing climate has significant implications for the design of buildings and air conditioning systems. The paper demonstrates that Australia will move to being a cooling dominated continent with a higher number of warm days and a reduced number of cold days. Updated typical meteorological years (TMYs) have been developed suitable for building thermal models used to predict the energy rating of buildings. Indicative future design temperature data is also presented for future years. The applicability of a varying indoor temperature set point which is outdoor temperature dependant was experimentally investigated in dwellings. Adaptive comfort was validated, highlighting that people can be thermally comfortable at higher than typically assumed indoor comfort temperatures during hot weather. This research provides proposed updated TMY, design outdoor and...

Publisher: Elsevier NOTICE: This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Building and Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Building and Environment, [92, October, 2015]

Free-running buildings (i.e. naturally ventilated buildings with no mechanical systems for heating or cooling) have the potential to be much more energy efficient than air-conditioned buildings. This paper is based on approximately 3200 instantaneous thermal comfort and 1500 long term background survey datasets from a large scale field study conducted in free-running Indian office buildings. Responses to air movement satisfaction and air movement preference questions, together with concurrent measurements of indoor environmental parameters of air and globe temperature, relative humidity and air velocity are used for this study. The paper gives an insight into the operation of ceiling fans and windows, and the range of air velocity experienced by office workers in free-running office buildings. It gives the relationship between measured indoor air velocity, concurrent air and globe temperature and relative humidity. Instantaneous responses are correlated with the on-site observations...

Free-running buildings (i.e. naturally ventilated buildings with no mechanical systems for heating or cooling) have the potential to be much more energy efficient than air-conditioned buildings. This paper is based on approximately 3200 instantaneous thermal comfort and 1500 long term background survey datasets from a large scale field study conducted in free-running Indian office buildings. Responses to air movement satisfaction and air movement preference questions, together with concurrent measurements of indoor environmental parameters of air and globe temperature, relative humidity and air velocity are used for this study. The paper gives an insight into the operation of ceiling fans and windows, and the range of air velocity experienced by office workers in free-running office buildings. It gives the relationship between measured indoor air velocity, concurrent air and globe temperature and relative humidity. Instantaneous responses are correlated with the on-site observations...

This paper is about the conservation process undertaken to conserve the 18th century Majlis-e-Aaraish-e-Balda (City Improvement Board) building of the Nizam era in Hyderabad. The building boasts of an Indo Saracenic style of architecture comprising of a single storey made up of granite & lime mortar. The restoration works were completed with an approximate spending of five million. This project was awarded the IIA - Asian Paints Royale “Gold Leaf Award” for Excellence in Architecture under Heritage and Restoration category. Considering the rapid commercialization and growth of the present times, this article tries to bring out the need of the world for protecting the heritage structures that we have inherited from our ancestors and which have challenged the test of time like the case of the CIB building in Hyderabad.

Reducing the temperature difference between indoor HVAC set-point and outdoor ambient temperatures represents a direct energy conservation measure that requires minimal capital investment in commercial buildings. This research deliberates the findings of a field study on the thermal comfort of occupants in a medium sized air-conditioned office building in Revesby (located in Sydney's inner west and characterized by a subtropical climate). This