Thermal comfort and indoor air quality in higher education: A case study in Houston, TX, during mid-season

Abstract

Providing thermal comfort and good air quality in educational buildings is crucial in enhancing students’ academic performance and productivity. Houston’s typical higher education buildings are designed for 100% mechanically ventilated spaces. But how do such buildings perform when outdoor temperatures are within comfort? This study correlates occupants reported thermal comfort data and gathered empirical thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) data at a higher education building in Houston, TX, during mid-season, a likely thermally comfortable period. It aims to understand occupants’ thermal sensation and preference and establish correlations between outdoor temperatures, operational temperatures, CO2 levels and occupancy patterns. The results demonstrate different levels of dependence of indoor conditions of the three studied floors on outdoor conditions and occupancy patterns. Such differences are attributed to the large envelope variability among floors of the same use and occupancy and the significant imbalances of the mechanical system settings. The study contributes to a better understanding of the indoor environmental quality of the building, and the author suggests a series of interventions based on the analysis.