RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS

The briefing advocates for redefining thermal comfort in buildings by moving away from monolithic central heating and cooling systems toward a model based on six variables: air temperature, air velocity, activity level, clothing level, surface temperature, and humidity. Using the ASHRAE 55 standard and the CBE Thermal Comfort Tool, designers can use the Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) metric to create more energy-efficient, occupant-centric environments. The author details the application of this approach at RMI's Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado, highlighting the necessity of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to manage the risks associated with passive design and the complexity of integrating multiple targeted systems. The document emphasizes that achieving such efficiency requires a paradigm shift in risk allocation, long-term system tuning, and active occupant engagement.

• Traditional building design relies on an air temperature-centric approach that is considered "ineffective, inefficient, and expensive."
• Occupant thermal comfort is driven by six specific variables: air temperature, air velocity, activity level, clothing level, surface temperature, and humidity.
• The ASHRAE 55 comfort standard utilizes a formula to translate the six comfort variables into a single output called the predictive mean vote (PMV), which predicts the percentage of people who will be comfortable under given conditions.
• RMI's Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado, utilized a whole-systems, passive design based on these comfort variables to meet "ambitious net-zero energy goals."
• Implementing targeted, simple systems instead of a large central system increases complexity in system integration and commissioning, as proprietary control systems may conflict with central strategies.
• To manage the risks of a passive design, RMI used Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to align incentives and created a contractual framework to explicitly allocate risk between the owner and the design/construction team.
• Effective commissioning for passive, multi-system buildings must move beyond equipment-based testing to a long-term building-tuning perspective that monitors how systems interact over time.
• Occupant engagement is critical in passive buildings, as users must be trained to actively manage their own comfort using tools like personal fans, adjustable windows, and appropriate clothing.

APA

McClurg, C. (2016). RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/Insight-brief_Thermal-Comfort-V7_FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf

Chicago

McClurg, Chris. RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS. RMI, 2016. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/Insight-brief_Thermal-Comfort-V7_FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McClurg |first1=Chris |title=RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS |publisher=RMI |date=May 2016 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/Insight-brief_Thermal-Comfort-V7_FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcclurg2016redefining, author = {McClurg, Chris}, title = {{RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/Insight-brief_Thermal-Comfort-V7_FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }