New Thermal Comfort Model Saves Energy and Keeps Everyone Happy!
The Visual Thermal Landscaping (VTL) model helps balance energy use and comfort in buildings by analyzing how people experience temperature visually. Current tools don't capture the full range of feelings people have about temperature, leading to wasted energy and unhappy occupants. The VTL model was tested in a naturally ventilated office building and showed that everyone feels temperature differently and can change their mind. This means one temperature can't make everyone happy all the time. By understanding individual comfort needs, the model can help lower energy use in buildings while keeping everyone comfortable. In the future, the model could predict when people might feel uncomfortable, support energy-saving measures, and encourage using different temperatures in buildings.