Field experiments on energy consumption and thermal comfort in the office environment controlled by occupants' requirements from PC terminal

The thermal environment in an office is not always optimal from the viewpoint of energy-conservation and occupants' comfort. The main reason is that air-conditioning systems are controlled without taking the occupants' needs into account. In this study, we would like to propose a new system to control air-conditioning systems, lighting systems, etc. via occupants' requests. This system collects occupants' requests from their own personal computers and controls the air-conditioning system with logic that balances the needs of occupants and energy consumption. The control logic is referred to as "Logic for Building a Consensus" and can be adjusted according to operating strategies such as energy-saving or occupants' satisfaction with their environment. Moreover, the variety of feedback motivates occupants to cooperate with energy-saving efforts. An interactive system to use occupants' requests for controlling the air-conditioning system and providing a variety of feedback was developed. A series of cooling experiments were conducted in an open-plan office where about 50 people worked. The results show that this interactive system could save 20% more energy compared with controlling an air-conditioning system at a constant 26 degrees C. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.