Office occupant productivity under variable HVAC control based on thermal satisfaction

Air-conditioning systems in Japanese office buildings are required to consume less energy while providing sufficient comfort to maintain occupant productivity. We examined the relationship between changes in the indoor environment and occupant productivity through an analysis of psychological parameters. Experiments were conducted in a climate-controlled chamber, and participants were exposed to various changes in thermal conditions, in particular, changes in wind velocity based on thermal demand submitted via a Web application. In one scenario, the participants were shown the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) on their PC displays. From the relationship between standard new effective temperature (SET*) and thermal satisfaction, we found that the wind velocity change based on thermal demand may improve thermal satisfaction. When PPD was shown, the thermal satisfaction was improved to the greatest extent. The correlation between thermal satisfaction and human performance indicates that wind velocity variation in response to thermal demand and providing feedback information about the thermal environment will improve the productivity of office occupants.