Research Design Connection: Thermal Comfort Tool from the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at Berkeley
At the web address below, the Center for the Built Environment at Berkeley shares a free tool for evaluating thermal comfort. As the web page introducing the tool states, the CBE’s objectives were, in part, to “Develop a web-based graphical user interface for thermal comfort prediction according to ASHRAE Standard 55. Include models for conventional building systems (predicted mean vote) and also for comfort using the adaptive comfort model, and with increased air speeds (for example, when using fans for cooling).” The CBE reports on the same website that, “The standard convention of attempting to maintain a narrow temperature band can be an energy-intensive practice. Instead, using CBE’s comfort prediction tools with ASHRAE Standard-55 as a guide, designers may find that a wider temperature band will provide adequate comfort and save a significant amount of energy…the tool can be used to assess the comfort of low-energy designs. A building …
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