Clothing Insulation Required for Energy Efficiency (IREQee) and Thermal Comfort
(2016) p.28-29- Abstract
- Thermal comfort has direction implications for energy efficiency and sustainable development. From a global perspective, about 40% of total primary energy is used in buildings, contributing to more than 30% of CO2 emissions [1]. The fact that the common practices of clothing choices have impact on energy efficiency is ignored [2-3]. This paper analyzed and proposed clothing insulation required for energy efficiency (IREQee) in order to increase indoor temperature interval and energy efficiency.
In many heated/air-conditioned indoor environments, it is not unusual that occupants wear T-shirts/suits. The basic clothing insulation of these clothing ensembles is estimated to be about 0.5/1.0 clo [4]. The benefit of adding/reducing... (More) - Thermal comfort has direction implications for energy efficiency and sustainable development. From a global perspective, about 40% of total primary energy is used in buildings, contributing to more than 30% of CO2 emissions [1]. The fact that the common practices of clothing choices have impact on energy efficiency is ignored [2-3]. This paper analyzed and proposed clothing insulation required for energy efficiency (IREQee) in order to increase indoor temperature interval and energy efficiency.
In many heated/air-conditioned indoor environments, it is not unusual that occupants wear T-shirts/suits. The basic clothing insulation of these clothing ensembles is estimated to be about 0.5/1.0 clo [4]. The benefit of adding/reducing clothing insulation in heated/cooled environments, e.g. change clothing between 1.2 and 0.4 clo, is that the temperature of the whole room or building can be changed by 5.1 °C (between 20.4 and 25.5 °C) while still maintaining thermal comfort (Fig. 1) calculated according to international standard [5] and related web based tool [6], given that other parameters are the same (metabolic rate M=70 W/m2, relative humidity=50%, mean radiant temperature=air temperature, mechanic work=0, relative air velocity (m/s)=0.0052*(M-58)). As a result, the energy for heating/cooling the indoor environment is saved. The saved energy is about 10% for each degree Celsius decrease or increase in heated or air-conditioned indoor air temperature [7]. Hence, informed occupant’s clothing behavior change based on IREQee can extend the interval of comfort temperature, e.g. from 18.6 to 26.1 °C (rather than a fixed set point at 22 or 23 °C) for office work in heated and air-conditioned environments. The analysis indicates that the proposed IREQee in relation to physical work intensity can function as a low cost measure to maintain thermal comfort, save energy, and enhance sustainable development.
Figure 1. Required clothing insulation for energy efficiency (IREQee) and comfortable temperature in heated or air-conditioned indoor environments in relation to physical work intensity (metabolic rate: M=70 and 100 W/m2 corresponding to office work and low physical intensity work).
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/eb44e0ba-cda9-4ac0-86b1-be126a309be6
- author
- Gao, Chuansi LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016-10-12
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- thermal comfort, energy efficiency, clothing insulation, IREQ
- host publication
- Proceedings of the 11th International Meeting on Thermal Manikin and Modeling(11i3m)
- editor
- Wang, Faming and Fu, Ming
- pages
- 2 pages
- ISBN
- 978-988-77662-0-9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- eb44e0ba-cda9-4ac0-86b1-be126a309be6
- date added to LUP
- 2017-07-09 11:04:24
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:33:17
@inproceedings{eb44e0ba-cda9-4ac0-86b1-be126a309be6,
abstract = {{Thermal comfort has direction implications for energy efficiency and sustainable development. From a global perspective, about 40% of total primary energy is used in buildings, contributing to more than 30% of CO2 emissions [1]. The fact that the common practices of clothing choices have impact on energy efficiency is ignored [2-3]. This paper analyzed and proposed clothing insulation required for energy efficiency (IREQee) in order to increase indoor temperature interval and energy efficiency. <br/><br/>In many heated/air-conditioned indoor environments, it is not unusual that occupants wear T-shirts/suits. The basic clothing insulation of these clothing ensembles is estimated to be about 0.5/1.0 clo [4]. The benefit of adding/reducing clothing insulation in heated/cooled environments, e.g. change clothing between 1.2 and 0.4 clo, is that the temperature of the whole room or building can be changed by 5.1 °C (between 20.4 and 25.5 °C) while still maintaining thermal comfort (Fig. 1) calculated according to international standard [5] and related web based tool [6], given that other parameters are the same (metabolic rate M=70 W/m2, relative humidity=50%, mean radiant temperature=air temperature, mechanic work=0, relative air velocity (m/s)=0.0052*(M-58)). As a result, the energy for heating/cooling the indoor environment is saved. The saved energy is about 10% for each degree Celsius decrease or increase in heated or air-conditioned indoor air temperature [7]. Hence, informed occupant’s clothing behavior change based on IREQee can extend the interval of comfort temperature, e.g. from 18.6 to 26.1 °C (rather than a fixed set point at 22 or 23 °C) for office work in heated and air-conditioned environments. The analysis indicates that the proposed IREQee in relation to physical work intensity can function as a low cost measure to maintain thermal comfort, save energy, and enhance sustainable development.<br/><br/> <br/>Figure 1. Required clothing insulation for energy efficiency (IREQee) and comfortable temperature in heated or air-conditioned indoor environments in relation to physical work intensity (metabolic rate: M=70 and 100 W/m2 corresponding to office work and low physical intensity work).<br/>}},
author = {{Gao, Chuansi}},
booktitle = {{Proceedings of the 11th International Meeting on Thermal Manikin and Modeling(11i3m)}},
editor = {{Wang, Faming and Fu, Ming}},
isbn = {{978-988-77662-0-9}},
keywords = {{thermal comfort; energy efficiency; clothing insulation; IREQ}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
pages = {{28--29}},
title = {{Clothing Insulation Required for Energy Efficiency (IREQee) and Thermal Comfort}},
year = {{2016}},
}