Comfort temperature and adaptive model in Japanese dwellings

Abstract

In order to quantify the seasonal differences in the comfort temperature and to develop a domestic adaptive model for Japanese dwellings, thermal measurements, a thermal comfort survey and an occupant behaviour survey were conducted for 4 years in the living rooms and bedrooms of dwellings in the Kanto region of Japan. We have collected about 36,114 thermal comfort votes from 244 residents of 120 dwellings. The results show that the residents are highly satisfied with the thermal environment of their dwellings. People are highly adapted in the thermal condition of the dwellings, and thus the comfort temperature has large seasonal differences. An adaptive model for housing was derived from the data to relate the indoor comfort temperature to the prevailing outdoor temperature. Such models are useful for the control of indoor temperatures.