Thermal Conditions in Indoor Environments: Exploring the Reasoning behind Standard-Based Recommendations

Christiane Berger, Ardeshir Mahdavi, Eleni Ampatzi, Sarah Crosby, Runa T. Hellwig, Dolaana Khovalyg, Anna Laura Pisello, Astrid Roetzel, Adam Rysanek and Marika Vellei
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Christiane Berger: Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Human Building Interaction, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Ardeshir Mahdavi: Institute of Building Physics, Services and Construction, Faculty of Civil Engineering Sciences, TU Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
Eleni Ampatzi: Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, Bute Building, King Edward VII Ave., Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
Sarah Crosby: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Runa T. Hellwig: Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Human Building Interaction, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Dolaana Khovalyg: Laboratory of Integrated Comfort Engineering (ICE), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Anna Laura Pisello: Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Astrid Roetzel: School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
Adam Rysanek: School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Marika Vellei: Laboratory of Engineering Sciences for the Environment LaSIE (UMR CNRS 7356), La Rochelle University, 17000 La Rochelle, France

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: Professionals in the building design and operation fields typically look at standards and guidelines as a reliable source of information and guidance with regard to procedural, contractual, and legal scope and requirements that are relevant to accountability issues and compliance necessities. Specifically, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) standards support professionals to bring about comfortable thermal, air quality, acoustic, or visual conditions in buildings. In this context, it appears essential to regularly examine the IEQ standards’ applicability and scientific validity. The present contribution focuses on common thermal comfort standards in view of the reasoning and includes evidence behind their recommendations and requirements. Thereby, several international and national thermal comfort standards are examined via a structured matrix to assess basic parameters, design and performance variables targeted by the standards, suggested value ranges, and both general and specific evidence from the scientific literature. Finally, this paper discusses findings and points to the identified gaps in the chain of evidence from the results of scientific studies and the recommendations included in the thermal standards. As such, the present contribution has the potential to inform future developments regarding transparent and evidence-based thermal standards.

Keywords: indoor environmental quality; thermal comfort; standards and guidelines; evidence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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