Development of an Adaptive Model of Thermal Comfort in a Mixed-Mode Japanese Multi-Family Apartment

Abstract

This paper aims to construct a Japanese localized Adaptive Model of thermal comfort and to examine the effect of humidity on the predicted comfort temperature. Also, the extent of adaptation, including the use of air conditioning, was investigated. Thermal comfort survey and measurements were conducted in a Japanese housing complex between 2020 and 2022, collecting 6607 responses. Window-opening behavior was investigated in 2018 and 2019 within the same housing complex to develop a probabilistic model of window opening. The slope of the derived adaptive model was steeper than in offices, indicating a greater extent of adaptation. Even when air conditioning is used, the range of adaptation was wider, with a slope of 0.26, whereas in offices, where more stringent climate control exists, the ASHRAE database suggests a slope of 0.13. The presented result showed the possibility of using a comfort model with the entire dataset, including when air conditioning is operated, provided that the way of adjusting the thermal environment in the room is mixed-mode. The model considering humidity showed that humidity affects it to a small extent, with a maximum effect of 0.13 K per 1 K outdoor temperature fluctuation, implying that a simple linear model is sufficient for comfort temperature prediction.