Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate

Cena, K; Dear, R.J. de

Title: Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate

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Abstract

This paper presents the main findings of ASHRAE research project RP-921, a field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environment in 22 air-conditioned office buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, a location characterized by a hot and arid climate. A total of 935 subjects provided 1,229 sets of data for winter and summer, each accompanied by a full set of indoor climatic measurements with laboratory-grade instrumentation. Clothing insulation estimates for seated subjects (0.5 clo in summer and 0.7 in winter) were supplemented by the incremental effect of chairs (0.15 clo). Thermal neutrality, according to responses on the ASHRAE seven-point sensation scale, occurred at 20.3 C in winter and at 23.3 C in summer. Preferred temperature, defined as a minimum of subjects requesting temperature change, was 22.2 C for both seasons. Nearly 65% of the indoor measurements fell within the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55a-1992 summer comfort zone and 85% in the winter. Over 85% of the occupants considered their thermal conditions acceptable. Subjects who expressed a below-average level of job satisfaction on a 15-question index were 50% more likely to express dissatisfaction with their thermal environment than subjects with above-average job satisfaction.

Authors:: Cena, K; Dear, R.J. de

Publication Date:: Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999

Research Org.:: Murdoch Univ., Perth, Western Australia (AU)

OSTI Identifier:: 20085617

Resource Type:: Conference

Resource Relation:: Conference: ASHRAE Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (US), 06/18/1999--06/23/1999; Other Information: PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: ASHRAE Transactions: Technical and symposium papers presented at the 1999 annual meeting in Seattle, Washington of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.; Volume 105, Part 2, by Geshwiler, M.; Harrell, D.; Roberson, T. [eds.], 1360 pages.

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; WESTERN AUSTRALIA; OFFICE BUILDINGS; THERMAL COMFORT; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; CLIMATES; AIR FLOW

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                    Cena, K, and Dear, R.J. de. Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate.  United States: N. p., 1999. 
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                    Cena, K, & Dear, R.J. de. Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate.  United States.

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                    Cena, K, and Dear, R.J. de. 1999.  
        "Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate".  United States.

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@article{osti_20085617,

  title        = {Field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environments in a hot, arid climate},

  author       = {Cena, K and Dear, R.J. de},

  abstractNote = {This paper presents the main findings of ASHRAE research project RP-921, a field study of occupant comfort and office thermal environment in 22 air-conditioned office buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, a location characterized by a hot and arid climate. A total of 935 subjects provided 1,229 sets of data for winter and summer, each accompanied by a full set of indoor climatic measurements with laboratory-grade instrumentation. Clothing insulation estimates for seated subjects (0.5 clo in summer and 0.7 in winter) were supplemented by the incremental effect of chairs (0.15 clo). Thermal neutrality, according to responses on the ASHRAE seven-point sensation scale, occurred at 20.3 C in winter and at 23.3 C in summer. Preferred temperature, defined as a minimum of subjects requesting temperature change, was 22.2 C for both seasons. Nearly 65% of the indoor measurements fell within the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55a-1992 summer comfort zone and 85% in the winter. Over 85% of the occupants considered their thermal conditions acceptable. Subjects who expressed a below-average level of job satisfaction on a 15-question index were 50% more likely to express dissatisfaction with their thermal environment than subjects with above-average job satisfaction.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20085617},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999},

  month        = {Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999}

}

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