Thermal Comfort Evaluation of Offices Integrated Into an Industrial Building. Case Study of the Basque Country

Abstract

This paper reports the indoor air operative temperature and relative humidity outcomes of a sixteen-month monitoring campaign of an administrative area in an industrial building in Tolosa (Spain). In a survey, users reported indoor climate dissatisfaction during the working hours, such as severe discomfort in the conference rooms due to excessive cold or overheating, poor indoor air quality or inadequate response of the HVAC systems. Internal operative temperatures and relative humidity have been analysed with and without environmental conditioning systems to study passive performance and effectiveness of active systems. These two parameters have been analysed in hourly intervals, during summer and winter periods. On the basis of the obtained data, the degree of thermal comfort of the users was evaluated, which allowed a comparison between the users' self-reported perception obtained through surveys and the monitored data. Three different standards were used to assess thermal comfort, namely the European Standard UNE-EN ISO 7730, the Spanish Regulations for thermal installations in buildings (RITE) and the criteria established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (INSHT). The study has made it possible to detect the main aspects that have a direct influence on user discomfort.