Using fans alone or in coordination with HVAC systems to cool people offers several significant enhancements compared to conventional HVAC systems, including improved thermal comfort, indoor air quality, air distribution, energy savings, and initial cost savings. Despite the numerous benefits of fans and fan-integrated systems, comprehensive resources have previously been unavailable to guide engineers and architects in designing and implementing such systems. The purpose of this guideline is to address this gap and provide practitioners with valuable materials and answers to common questions.

The CBE Clima Tool (Clima) is a free and open-source web application that offers easy access to publicly available weather files and has been created for building energy simulation and design. It provides a series of interactive visualizations of the variables contained in the EnergyPlus Weather Files and several derived ones like the UTCI or the adaptive comfort indices. Our tool is poised to revolutionize climate-adaptive building design, transcending geographical boundaries and fostering innovation in the architecture and engineering fields. 

This study assessed the influence of having a window with a view on thermal and emotional responses as well as on cognitive performance. Positive emotions (e.g., happy, satisfied) were higher and negative emotions (e.g., sad, drowsy) were lower for the participants in the window versus the windowless condition. Working memory and the ability to concentrate were higher for participants in the space with versus without windows, but there were no significant differences in short-term memory, planning, and creativity performance.

This paper presents data collected from a widely used online POE tool: The Center for the Built Environment’s (CBE) Occupant Survey (more than 90,000 respondents from approximately 900 buildings) in order to summarize its database and evaluate the survey’s structure and benchmarking metrics. Satisfaction is highest with spaces’ ease of interaction (75% satisfied), amount of light (74%), and cleanliness (71%). Dissatisfaction is highest with sound privacy (54% dissatisfied), temperature (39%), and noise level (34%).

Wildfires are a major source of PM2.5, creating dangerously high levels of air pollution across extensive regions. This study explores how optimizing central air system operation with smart thermostats can reduce indoor PM2.5 exposure. Studies found that automated optimization approach lowered indoor PM2.5 concentrations up to 54 ± 5 % compared to standard air conditioning use and to 61 ± 5 % during peak wildfire smoke days. The purpose of this study reveals that existing technologies and infrastructure that are often overlooked could significantly improve protection from wildfire smoke.

The environmental impacts of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems have been largely overlooked and are commonly excluded from building-scale life cycle assessments (LCAs). It is crucial to understand the impacts and reduction potential of these systems for decarbonizing retrofits and new buildings. Based on the reviewed studies, estimates for A1-A3 and A1-A5 of the MEP systems are 40 (49) and 49 (61) kgCO2e/m² respectively. Ten key research needs are identified, including the impact reduction potential of MEP systems and the influence of system layout and typology on the reported impacts.

This paper introduces and applies regression discontinuity to thermal comfort field studies. Studies found that the mean indoor operative temperatures were 4.3 °C higher, and mean thermal sensation votes were 0.6 °C warmer due to district heating in China. In contrast, conventional correlational analysis demonstrates that the correlation between indoor operative temperature and thermal sensation votes does not accurately reflect the causal relationship. This highlights the importance of causal inference methods in thermal comfort field studies and other observational studies in building science, where the regression discontinuity method might apply.

A number of operational issues exist with typical variable air volume (VAV) reheat terminal units. These include temperature stratification at the heating coil discharge and the reduced capacity and higher flow rates required for increasingly popular low temperature hot water systems. This article summarizes the findings of a recent research project that sought to better understand and help overcome these issues.

Heat is a leading weather-related cause of death worldwide and there is currently no clear consensus on a safe maximum indoor temperature. There is evidence of correlation between high outdoor temperatures and human health yet research on this typically does not explicitly consider indoor heat exposure. This is a literature review on the impact of indoor thermal conditions on health, recognizing that air temperature alone cannot describe thermal exposure. For U.S. policymakers, the standardized maximum safe indoor temperature should be 28 °C. The framework proposed to adjust the standardized upper limit for humidity, air motion, and radiant temperature could be used globally.