Occupants’ thermal comfort perception on different HVAC system setpoints

Abstract

Research on smart energy saving is becoming famous globally in different sectors. The current
research is anticipated to lower energy demand and consumption in the building industry, which has
already reached 49% globally and is projected to rise by 2% yearly, incurring significant monthly costs. One
prevalent problem nowadays is striking a balance between energy efficiency and thermal comfort. Most
research has concentrated on energy efficiency without taking into account occupant thermal comfort,
which might pose health risks to both young and old occupants. To build a HVAC controller that ensures
the healthy comfort of the occupant, the study conducted an empirical study using 84 participants in the
northern part of Nigeria under different settings of HVAC system setpoints. The participants’ responses
were recorded in terms of their thermal sensation, preference and comfort vote, perceived and preferred
control, and overall thermal satisfaction. This information will be used to compute and identify the ideal
thermal satisfaction temperature and subsequently assist in modeling rules for smart control, providing
insight for future research on modeling HVAC system controllers.