Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan
Rising global temperatures have increased the need for research into human adaptability and comfort in buildings. To reduce comfort-related energy demands, low-energy-consumption alternatives for space cooling, such as personal environmental control systems (PECS), are being investigated. The implem...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/1/262 |
| _version_ | 1797339964840607744 |
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| author | Romina Rissetto Marcel Schweiker |
| author_facet | Romina Rissetto Marcel Schweiker |
| author_sort | Romina Rissetto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rising global temperatures have increased the need for research into human adaptability and comfort in buildings. To reduce comfort-related energy demands, low-energy-consumption alternatives for space cooling, such as personal environmental control systems (PECS), are being investigated. The implementation of PECS in office buildings is still underway, and little is known about how occupants’ expectations can influence their satisfaction with PECS and indoor environmental quality. This study examines the influence of tailored information and occupants’ comfort expectations on their thermal perceptions and satisfaction with a personal ceiling fan. Seventy-six participants completed an online questionnaire and attended a half-day session at 30 °C in a climate chamber in Germany. A manipulation technique to activate personal norms was used to test the influence of information on expectations. Results indicated higher reported thermal comfort in participants with more positive thermal expectations, regardless of their expectations of the building systems. These effects were largely moderated by personal norms, indicating the importance of activating normative motivations to increase thermal comfort. Occupants with negative expectations improved their perceptions of the fan when making personal adjustments to stay comfortable. However, this effect was not moderated by personal norms. Practical implications focus on manipulating occupants’ comfort expectations, e.g., by providing occupants with normative messages and individual control, to achieve greater comfort and acceptance of personal building controls in naturally ventilated buildings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:56:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c30914422d5748af8e06f9d31cf9e217 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:56:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-c30914422d5748af8e06f9d31cf9e2172024-01-29T13:49:35ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-01-0114126210.3390/buildings14010262Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling FanRomina Rissetto0Marcel Schweiker1Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Building Science and Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, GermanyHealthy Living Spaces Lab, Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, GermanyRising global temperatures have increased the need for research into human adaptability and comfort in buildings. To reduce comfort-related energy demands, low-energy-consumption alternatives for space cooling, such as personal environmental control systems (PECS), are being investigated. The implementation of PECS in office buildings is still underway, and little is known about how occupants’ expectations can influence their satisfaction with PECS and indoor environmental quality. This study examines the influence of tailored information and occupants’ comfort expectations on their thermal perceptions and satisfaction with a personal ceiling fan. Seventy-six participants completed an online questionnaire and attended a half-day session at 30 °C in a climate chamber in Germany. A manipulation technique to activate personal norms was used to test the influence of information on expectations. Results indicated higher reported thermal comfort in participants with more positive thermal expectations, regardless of their expectations of the building systems. These effects were largely moderated by personal norms, indicating the importance of activating normative motivations to increase thermal comfort. Occupants with negative expectations improved their perceptions of the fan when making personal adjustments to stay comfortable. However, this effect was not moderated by personal norms. Practical implications focus on manipulating occupants’ comfort expectations, e.g., by providing occupants with normative messages and individual control, to achieve greater comfort and acceptance of personal building controls in naturally ventilated buildings.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/1/262psychological adaptationadaptive behaviorspersonal ceiling fanpersonal normstest chamberthermal perception |
| spellingShingle | Romina Rissetto Marcel Schweiker Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan Buildings psychological adaptation adaptive behaviors personal ceiling fan personal norms test chamber thermal perception |
| title | Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan |
| title_full | Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan |
| title_short | Exploring Information and Comfort Expectations Related to the Use of a Personal Ceiling Fan |
| title_sort | exploring information and comfort expectations related to the use of a personal ceiling fan |
| topic | psychological adaptation adaptive behaviors personal ceiling fan personal norms test chamber thermal perception |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/1/262 |
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