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2025 Year-End Appreciation and News
As the year comes to a close, we want to acknowledge the many individuals, companies and organizations whose support makes our research both possible and impactful. In spite of new challenges, our community is resilient and we remain focused and committed to our shared mission. We also announce the winner and honorable mentions for the 2025 Livable Buildings Award, plus news and publications.
Louisiana Study Focuses on Reducing Heat Stress with Fans in Industrial Facilities, Gaining Local News Attention
This spring and summer, a team of CBE researchers traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to launch a new and unique field study to evaluate the benefits of fans in reducing heat stress and improving work performance in a manufacturing facility without air conditioning. This work is critical as summer temperatures and heat waves are increasing, along with the growth of such industrial and logistical facilities. The project is supported by CBE’s industry consortium partners Big Ass Fans, and the team includes experts on heat and health from the University of Sydney.
Recent CBE Work Contributes to Understanding Occupant Health, Comfort and Decarbonization of the Built Environment
As we wrap up 2024, we are excited to share updates on recent work and also about upcoming events where our research team will share our results with broad audiences from industry and academia. Much of this work benefits from the invaluable contributions of our industry partners and research affiliates that include companies and academic institutions from around the world.
New Funding Will Advance Research on Personal Comfort and Advanced HVAC Solutions
This spring CBE’s research team was thrilled to learn we had won two major funding awards from the California Energy Commission. These winning proposals were led by the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) who will lead the future work in close collaboration with CBE researchers and other contributors. Both projects are multi-year efforts, each with a wide range of research activities and deliverables, and leverage CBE’s collective knowledge, capabilities and our extensive network of industry and academic partners.
CBE in the News See all
CBE Expertise on Heat Stress Used for Prison Class-Action Lawsuit
As reported by Ashley Miznazi in the Miami Herald, Prof. Stefano Schiavon provided a report that was used in a class-action lawsuit filed by the Florida Justice Institute, a Miami nonprofit that advocates for incarcerated, homeless and disabled people. The suit was filed to require a Florida prison to maintain the indoor heat index below 88ºF, a threshold some experts cite to prevent heat-related stress and illness. Prof. Schiavon’s report, using data from sensors inside the prison, found that temperatures exceeded this standard for months at a time, close to or over 100ºF for lengthy periods.
Fans first and related strategies described at Singapore forum on heat and health.
The Straits Times writes about presentations at the GHHIN Southeast Asia Heat Health Forum. The four-day event gathered experts to explore solutions for protecting people from extreme heat due to rising temperatures. CBE’s Stefano Schiavon presented the results of a study of a hybrid cooling strategy with fans and air conditioning. Office occupants experienced two conditions: 79°F (26.5°C) with ceiling fans and air conditioning, and also at 75°F (24°C) with only air conditioning. The study found similar comfort levels in both settings, with the fan-plus-AC method reducing energy use by 30%.
Cities are getting hotter. Designing them to be windier could help.
The article highlights the growing importance of wind-centric urban design in response to extreme urban heat caused by climate change. Innovations like Hong Kong’s wind-optimized campus and Singapore’s breezeways exemplify how architecture can harness wind effectively. CBE’s Stefano Schiavon is quoted in the article, and he notes that air movement improves thermal comfort even in hot conditions, and that wind should be actively integrated into urban design considerations.
Livable Buildings Awards
Now in its fourteenth year, the Livable Buildings Awards recognize projects that demonstrate high occupant satisfaction, excellent design, and innovative operation strategies.