RP-462 -- A Study to Establish A Data Base on Existing Thermal Environments in Office Buildings PDF

The scope of this project was established by its original work statement and included the following activities:

1) Development of a detailed data base on the thermal environment and subjective responses of occupants in existing office buildings. This study measured buildings in two San Francisco Bay area climates: a cool coastal climate and a drier, more variable inland climate. Measurements were repeated in winter and summer. In addition to physical measurements of the thermal environment, concurrent thermal comfort assessment surveys polling the building occupants provided subjective data. The study included both old and new buildings, single and multiple tenant, as well as open plan and enclosed offices. At least 20 workstations were visited in each building. The collected data are available to other users on microcomputer diskette.

2) Documentation of comfort conditions in the monitored office environments. The field measurements were used to determine whether current comfort standards (ASHRAE Std. 55-81 and ISO Std. 7730) were being met in the buildings.

3) Analysis of the compiled data to identify relationships between physical, psychological, and demographic parameters. Commonly used temperature indices and derived comfort parameters were calculated from the measured data. Statistical analysis was used to identify significant correlations and trends between thermal conditions, comfort responses, and user characteristics. As part of this, the study looked at possible climatic effects on comfort responses.

4) Development of instrumentation, measurement procedures, and occupant survey techniques to assess thermal comfort. The project developed methods of collecting detailed thermal measurements of the workstation conditions, eliciting subjective responses to the current thermal environment, and obtaining appropriate psychological background measures that may explain occupants' response patterns. These methods were evaluated for their suitability in establishing a standard thermal comfort assessment procedure for field future studies.