Economic cost of thermal discomfort and its application in building environmental control

The objective of this study is to quantify the linkages between temperature conditions and occupant performance and use these to develop control methods that save energy and maintain comfort and productivity for HVAC systems in commercial buildings. In the first part of this study. I conducted field studies to quantify the thermal discomfort cost in commercial buildings through the linkages between building operation, occupant satisfaction and occupant productivity. I used considerable post-occupancy evaluation data, routine maintenance records (Maximo facility management system), and productivity records (self-evaluation) in actual buildings. Using those data and recent literature, I proposed a piece-wise linear type of relationship between productivity loss and thermal discomfort. The relationship allowed me to predict the economic cost of discomfort, as rated by occupants, predicted by a thermal comfort model, or estimated from a measurement.;Occupant costs in buildings outweigh operational costs by a factor of 100. If decisions to reduce energy costs, or other operational expenses, result in occupant dissatisfaction, and a corresponding decrease in occupant performance, then such decisions are counter-productive for all---occupants, employers, and building owners. In the second part, I explored new building temperature control methods which could save energy and maintain comfort and productivity. Two examples are provided: stratification control for underfloor air distribution systems, and thermal control for intermittent occupancy in single person offices with a single-duct variable-air-volume central cooling system. The quantitative discomfort cost model from the first part was implemented in the second example to suggest how the overall economic gain of operating a building can be optimized.