Thermal comfort: use of controls in naturally ventilated buildings

A field study of the thermal comfort of workers in natural ventilated offic e buildings in Oxford and Aberdeen, UK, was carried out which included info rmation about use of building controls. The data were analysed to explore t hat what effect the outdoor temperature has on the indoor temperature and h ow this is affected by occupants' use of environmental controls during the peak summer (June-August). The proportion of subjects using a control was r elated to indoor and outdoor temperatures to demonstrate the size of the ef fect. The results suggest that the use of controls is also related to therm al sensation and their appropriate use is a significant part of adaptive be haviour to modify the indoor thermal conditions. The results make it possib le to predict the effect of temperature on the ventilation rate in naturall y ventilated buildings. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.