Extending the applicability of the adaptive comfort model to the control of air-conditioning systems

Abstract

Extensive studies have been done on adaptive thermal comfort for naturally ventilated buildings. However, further studies of the adaptive comfort model are needed to develop a control method for buildings with the air-conditioning systems. This study aims to extend the application of the adaptive comfort model by developing an adaptive comfort control (ACC) for air-conditioning systems. Special attention is given to testing the acceptability of the ACC to the occupants of the office buildings. Two extensive longitudinal field studies were carried out that involved 807 office workers and a total of 13,523 individual comfort votes were collected. This study reveals that it is possible to develop statistically and substantively significant adaptive comfort models for the cooling operation of air-conditioned buildings. This field study provides scientific evidence that the adaptive comfort model can be used to control an air-conditioning system without sacrificing occupants’ thermal comfort. Further field studies on air-conditioned buildings are warranted to quantify the energy use implications of the ACC.