Abstract
Clothing insulation is a key parameter to assess thermal comfort and is one of the most difficult parameters to estimate in field studies. The recent ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II contains a large sample of clothing insulation in addition to a wide range of other thermal and contextual parameters. However, the database does not provide details on whether the clothing insulation included the additional insulation that is provided by chairs for seated occupants. This may affect thermal comfort predictions. The objective of this study was to analyse the clothing insulation in ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database I and II. First, additional information on ensemble and chair insulation was collected to complement database II. Then, predictive models of ensemble insulation were derived for office buildings, and the combined ensemble and chair insulation was used to analyse the sensitivity of the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) to the clothing insulation. The developed model can predict the ensemble insulation as a function of the indoor air temperature, the season and the building ventilation type (air-conditioning, natural ventilation or mixed-mode). The PMV predictions improved by accounting for the chair insulation, which may further impact the indoor environment classification according to the European standard EN 16798-1.
Highlights
The large potential of using accessible archival data to develop new or analyse existing thermal comfort models became clear after the publication of the first global database of thermal comfort experiments [1]
Predictive models of ensemble insulation were derived for office buildings, and the combined ensemble and chair insulation was used to analyse the sensitivity of the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) to the clothing insulation
From the remaining 74,379 records, by reading the publications included in database II, we could not differentiate the ensemble from the chair insulation in 27,309 records, which represent 24 contributions to the database II
Summary
The large potential of using accessible archival data to develop new or analyse existing thermal comfort models became clear after the publication of the first global database of thermal comfort experiments [1]. Most prominently, this database was the backbone of the adaptive model of thermal comfort and preference that is setting the standard for a wide range of models of similar nature [2]. Data in the database is comprised of surveys carried out in a wide range of buildings and climate zones in 23 countries during a 20-year period.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call