Conference Papers

Free-running buildings (i.e. naturally ventilated buildings with no mechanical systems for heating or cooling) have the potential to be much more energy efficient than air-conditioned buildings. This paper is based on approximately 3200 instantaneous thermal comfort and 1500 long term background survey datasets from a large scale field study conducted in

free-running Indian office buildings. Responses to air movement satisfaction and air movement preference questions, together with concurrent measurements of indoor environmental parameters of air and globe temperature, relative humidity and air velocity are used for this study. The paper gives an insight into the operation of ceiling fans and windows, and the range of air velocity experienced by office workers in free-running office buildings. It gives the relationship between measured indoor air velocity, concurrent air and globe temperature and relative humidity. Instantaneous responses are correlated with the on-site observations on window and ceiling fan operation, as well as indoor environmental measurements. The assessment of preferred air velocity from ceiling fans and operable windows as an adaptive measure in this paper contributes to the development of better designed free-running office buildings in India.