The predicted mean vote (PMV) model of thermal comfort, created by Fanger in the late 1960s, is used worldwide to assess thermal comfort. Fanger based his model on college-aged students for use in invariant environmental conditions in air-conditioned buildings in moderate thermal climate zones. Environmental engineering practice calls for a predictive method that is applicable to all types of people in any kind of building in every climate zone. In this publication, existing support and criticism, as well as modifications to the PMV model are discussed in light of the requirements by environmental engineering practice in the 21st century in order to move from a predicted mean vote to comfort for all. Improved prediction of thermal comfort can be achieved through improving the validity of the PMV model, better specification of the model's input parameters, and accounting for outdoor thermal conditions and special groups. The application range of the PMV model can be enlarged, for instance, by using the model to assess the effects of the thermal environment on productivity and behavior, and interactions with other indoor environmental parameters, and the use of information and communication technologies. Even with such modifications to thermal comfort evaluation, thermal comfort for all can only be achieved when occupants have effective control over their own thermal environment.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2007.00516.x

Forty years of Fanger's model of thermal comfort: comfort for all?

Occupant productivity and office indoor environment quality: A review of the literature

This review examines scientific literature on the effect of gender on indoor thermal comfort. Gender differences have been generally considered to be small and insignificant but this review shows that a growing number of studies have found significant differences in thermal comfort between the genders. Clearly more than half of the laboratory and field studies have found that females express more dissatisfaction than males in the same thermal environments. Very few studies have found males to be more dissatisfied than females. A meta-analysis shows that females are more likely than males to express thermal dissatisfaction (ratio: 1.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.61–1.89). However, most studies found no significant difference in neutral temperatures between the genders. Females are more sensitive than males to a deviation from an optimal temperature and express more dissatisfaction, especially in cooler conditions.

Practical Implications
We should no longer neglect the more rigorous requirements that females have for indoor thermal environments. Gender differences indicate that females have, on average, a greater need for individual temperature control and adaptive actions than males. The results of this review suggest that females should primarily be used as subjects when examining indoor thermal comfort requirements, as if females are satisfied it is highly probable that males are also satisfied.

Thermal comfort and gender: a literature review

Individual difference in thermal comfort: A literature review

Based on United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), building sector accounts for 40% of total energy consumption. In European countries, 36% of total greenhouse gas emissions is attributed to buildings. In this respect, green roofs are considered to be one of the most appropriate sustainable solutions to resolve the urban heat island-related issues. Roofs account for nearly 20–25% of overall urban surface areas. Energy saving, thermal insulation, shading and evapotranspiration features highlight the key role of green roofs in overall thermal performance of buildings and microclimatic conditions of indoor environments. Within the scope of this research, the concept of green roofs and facades is comprehensively analysed in a holistic and thematic way. Following a historical overview of the technology, the research is split into various subfields such as energy saving in buildings through greenery systems, multifunctional thermal benefits including evapotranspiration, thermal insulation, shading and thermal comfort features, evaporative cooling for reducing cooling demand and minimising wind driven convection losses. The results achieved from the literature survey clearly indicate that green roofs and facades are key solutions to mitigate building-related energy consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the previous works, heat flow through the building roofs in summer can be reduced by approximately 80% via green roofs. The green roofs are reported to consume less energy in the range of 2.2–16.7% than traditional roofs during summer time. A similar tendency is observed for the winter season depending on regional and climatic conditions. The temperature difference between conventional and greens roofs in winter is found to be about 4 °C, which is remarkable. Energy demand of buildings in summer is highly dependent on the plant intensity as it is reported to be 23.6, 12.3 and 8.2 kWh/m2/year for extensive, semi-intensive and intensive greenery surface, respectively. Greenery systems are also capable of providing thermally comfortable indoor and outdoor conditions. It is underlined that the annual average accumulation of CO2 reaches the level of 13.41–97.03 kg carbon/m2 for 98 m2 of vertical greenery system. The results of this research can be useful for dwellers, builders, architects, engineers and policy makers to have a good understanding about the potential of green roofs and facades to mitigate building-related energy consumptions and carbon emissions in a renewable, sustainable, energy-efficient and cost effective way.

Green roofs and facades: A comprehensive review

A new approach to assessing the performance of noise indices in buildings

The paper presents the results of four thermal comf ort surveys conducted in naturally ventilated and air-conditioned buildings located in Bari, in South ern Italy, during winter and summer seasons. The buildings were of different types including offices , lecture rooms, and library reading rooms. The sam ple of subjects consisted mostly of students. A total of 2 0 rooms were analyzed by measuring indoor climatic parameters. During the measurements the subjects lo cated near the probes were asked to fill in a questionnaire to rate the thermal environment at th at moment. A total of 1840 valid questionnaires wer e collected during the four surveys. Clothing insulat ion levels were 0.45 clo in summer and 0.90 clo in winter. Metabolic rate was assumed equal to 1.2 met . Thermal neutrality according to the ASHRAE seven point scale occurred at 24.4°C and 26.3°C in summer , and at 20.7°C and 20.6°C in winter, respectively in NV and AC buildings. Preferred temperature, based opreference scale, was cooler in summer (24.2°C and 25.6°C in NV and AC buildings, respecti vely), and warmer in winter (23.1°C and 21.2°C in NV and AC buildings, respectively). Thermal accepta bility was investigated by means of all the availab le scales, showing that the indirect estimation of acc eptability (based on the three central categories o f the ASHRAE scale), only provides partial information ab out occupants’ conditions. Finally, the whole set o f data was analyzed in order to propose an adaptive afor this climatic zone. The resulting equa tion (T c = 17.82 + 0.315 T rm ) proved to be in good agreement with other studies .

I. Fato

Papers

A new approach to assessing the performance of noise indices in buildings

Thermal comfort in the climatic conditions of Southern Italy

Long-term performance of chemical damp-proof courses: Twelve years of laboratory testing