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Modelling occupants' personal characteristics for thermal comfort prediction
Frédéric Haldi1, Darren Robinson
1Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. frederic.haldi@a3.epfl.ch
International Journal of Biometeorology
|February 25, 2011
Summary
Occupants’ clothing choices are primarily influenced by daily outdoor temperature, with significant changes occurring infrequently. Metabolic rates remain stable, but drink consumption, influenced by indoor conditions and season, impacts heat production.
Area of Science:
- Building Science
- Human Factors
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Understanding occupant behavior is crucial for optimizing building performance and thermal comfort.
- Clothing is a primary factor influencing thermal regulation in indoor environments.
- Previous research has often simplified clothing adjustments or overlooked their dynamic nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model occupants' clothing choices based on environmental factors.
- To investigate the relationship between clothing, metabolic rate, and beverage consumption.
- To develop a predictive model for clothing adjustments in buildings.
Main Methods:
- Field survey conducted in Switzerland to collect data on occupant clothing, activity, and environmental conditions.
- Development of an ordinal logistic model to predict clothing insulation levels.
- Analysis of metabolic activity and beverage consumption using binary logistic models.
Main Results:
- Daily mean outdoor temperature was the strongest predictor of clothing choices.
- Significant clothing adjustments were infrequent during the day.
- Cold drink consumption correlated with indoor thermal conditions; hot drink consumption correlated with season.
Conclusions:
- The developed ordinal logistic model accurately predicts occupant clothing insulation.
- The model is generalizable to environments with specific dress codes.
- Beverage consumption serves as a compensatory mechanism for metabolic constraints and thermal conditions.
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