Perceived IEQ Conditions: Why the Actual Percentage of Dissatisfied Persons is Higher than Standards Indicate?

Abstract

The design criteria for indoor environmental quality are specified in several international standards. Even though numeric physical measures define accurately the indoor environmental conditions, only the perceived quality determines the total performance of the building from user’s point of view. Thus, it is important to evaluate how well the set targets are fulfilled. An occupant satisfaction survey is a tool to analyze the actual perception for the indoor environmental quality. In many cases, the survey depicts that even if the average satisfaction shows high scores major problem areas exist in some parts of the buildings. In several buildings, the actual percentage of dissatisfied persons is higher than 30%. In practice, commissioning and maintenance processes are often neglected. Also, the required adjustments in the HVAC-systems are not executed after layout changes of workplaces. That leads to problems in thermal comfort, indoor air quality and acoustic privacy.