Indoor environmental quality and building energy efficiency

Abstract

Buildings are an expression of our need for shelter which is driven by a host of factors including the need for comfort and security. Our perceptions of, and responses to, our buildings are inseparable from the ways in which our buildings respond to the environments and climates in which they are built. Where occupants of buildings find the indoor environment to be uncomfortable, their default response is to employ mechanisms to achieve improved comfort levels (ASHRAE 2013). These responses include either voluntary or involuntary mechanisms. Involuntary mechanisms are generally physiological while voluntary mechanisms involve some effort to change the local environment either by modifying it directly (adjusting the thermostat or opening a window), modifying our state (clothing or activity levels) or relocating to an environment more comfortable.