Temperature Influences Thermal Comfort
Indoor environments that are too warm can sap energy and disrupt concentration. Too cold, and people may spend their time and energy engaged in "thermostat wars."
Temperature – whether too hot, too cold, or in a constant state of flux – can greatly influence the focus, efficiency, happiness, and performance of people inhabiting indoor spaces.
Creating an indoor environment optimized for thermal comfort supports the overall health, well-being, and productivity of building occupants.
The Impact Of Temperature
Indoor Environment Quality – Temperature
A healthy space equals improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ). IEQ consists of multiple facets, including temperature. Learn how thermal comfort impacts overall occupant well-being.
The Importance Of Thermal Comfort
Setting the Temperature Standard for the Built Environment
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to advancing the standards and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC).
ASHRAE Standard 55* specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces.
“Ask any building manager, ‘What is the number one complaint you hear about a building?’ and I guarantee that he or she will say, ‘Calls from employees about feeling too hot or too cold.' .”
- Dr. Joseph G. Allen, DSc, MPH, CIH | Director, Healthy Buildings Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Lancet Heat and Health Series
The Lancet is one of the world’s most trusted and respected medical journals. Since its first issue (Oct 5, 1823), the journal has strived to make science widely available so that medicine can serve and transform society, and positively impact the lives of people.
In the article Reducing the health effects of hot weather and heat extremes: from personal cooling strategies to green cities is part of The Lancet Heat and Health Series.
This Series paper describes how the risks of human hyperthermia and other heat-related health problems can be reduced by introducing accessible and sustainable interventions at the landscape and urban, building, and individual scales.