Feedback from human adaptive behavior to neutral temperature in naturally ventilated buildings: Physical and psychological paths

Publication date: September 2013
Source:Building and Environment, Volume 67
Author(s): Weiwei Liu , Qihong Deng , Weiwu Ma , Hao Huangfu , Jing Zhao
This study provides new insight into the feedback from human adaptive behavior to thermal neutral temperature in naturally ventilated buildings and proposes a theoretical model, the “adaptive behavior feedback (ABF) model”, to quantitatively describe the feedback. Using the ABF model, the adaptive increments in occupant neutral temperature due to the feedback of the adaptive behavior (the use of various controls) were obtained based on the data from a long-term field survey conducted in two typical naturally ventilated offices located in Changsha, China. Furthermore, the roles of different feedback paths (physical and psychological paths) were quantified. The results revealed that the psychological feedback path had a more significant role in causing a change in the neutral temperature of the subjects with the use of a door, a window and an air conditioner. These results also indicated that the ABF model could provide an effective method for quantifying the feedback from occupant adaptive behavior to their thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings.