Final published version
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
}
TY - GEN
T1 - Thermal adaptation to high indoor temperatures during winter in two UK social housing tower blocks
AU - Teli, Despoina
AU - Gauthier, Stephanie
AU - Aragon, Victoria
AU - Bourikas, Leonidas
AU - James, Patrick
AU - Bahaj, Abubakr
PY - 2016/4/1
Y1 - 2016/4/1
N2 - This work explores the hypothesis that exposure to high indoor temperatures during winter can change thermal expectations of the occupants, challenging the standard boundaries of thermal comfort and leading to excess in energy demand for heating. The analysis presented here is based on two case study social housing tower buildings where indoor temperatures during the heating season have been maintained at high levels for many years. Five-minute readings of air temperature and relative humidity were gathered from the lounges and bedrooms of twenty flats from February to October 2014. The measured air temperatures in the sampled period were overall much higher than the standard comfort criteria, with averages of 24.8±2.2oC for the lounges and 23.1±1.8oC for the bedrooms. Interviews were carried out with seventeen tenants in October, enquiring about their views on the indoor environment, the use of controls and their thermal sensation at the time of the survey. The results show that most people were satisfied with the temperatures in their flats, regardless of them being much higher than recommended levels most of the time. The occupants’ adaptation to high temperatures could pose a great challenge to the implementation of energy use reduction strategies, if industry-based thermal criteria were to be met.
AB - This work explores the hypothesis that exposure to high indoor temperatures during winter can change thermal expectations of the occupants, challenging the standard boundaries of thermal comfort and leading to excess in energy demand for heating. The analysis presented here is based on two case study social housing tower buildings where indoor temperatures during the heating season have been maintained at high levels for many years. Five-minute readings of air temperature and relative humidity were gathered from the lounges and bedrooms of twenty flats from February to October 2014. The measured air temperatures in the sampled period were overall much higher than the standard comfort criteria, with averages of 24.8±2.2oC for the lounges and 23.1±1.8oC for the bedrooms. Interviews were carried out with seventeen tenants in October, enquiring about their views on the indoor environment, the use of controls and their thermal sensation at the time of the survey. The results show that most people were satisfied with the temperatures in their flats, regardless of them being much higher than recommended levels most of the time. The occupants’ adaptation to high temperatures could pose a great challenge to the implementation of energy use reduction strategies, if industry-based thermal criteria were to be met.
M3 - Conference contribution/Paper
SN - 9780992895730
SP - 733
EP - 746
BT - Proceedings of The 9th Windsor Conference
PB - Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings (NCEUB)
T2 - 9th International Windsor Conference
Y2 - 7 April 2016 through 10 April 2016
ER -