Rosetta Stone

September 24, 2020

Thermal Comfort + Performance

Talking Points • Research Brief • Collection Database


Thermal Comfort - Performance Talking Points

Summary

Performance effects are typically minimal when temperature falls within local comfort range. Most notable productivity decline is seen when temperature is outside noted comfort ranges (as prescribed by ASHRAE Standard 55).

Keywords

Thermal comfort, performance, comfort, gender

Impacts

  • Buildings that deliver improved thermal comfort will enable occupants to be healthier and more productive which can benefit an organization both economically and in output efficiency (McCartney 2002, Zeiler 2009).

The Optimal Temperature for Human Performance

  • The optimal temperature range for cognitive function was found to be between 22-26 degrees Celsius (71.8-78.8 degrees Fahrenheit), but can vary due to the type of task (Seppanen 2006, Rupp 2015). For example, critical thinking tasks were performed better under cooler temperatures and creativity-oriented tasks were yielded better performance under slightly warmer environments (Zeiler 2009, Heerwagen 2000, Tarantini 2017, Chang 2019).

Impact of Gender on Thermal Comfort

  • Optimal temperatures for performance can vary by gender. Males have been found to perform better in cooler temperatures than females and females perform significantly higher in warmer temperatures than males (Schellen 2012, Chang 2019).

Key References

Review Articles
  • McCartney, K.J., and M.A.Humphreys. “Thermal comfort and productivity.” Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002 (2002): 822-827.Applied Ergonomics 37, no. 4 (2006): 461-66.
  • Rupp, Ricardo Forgiarini, Natalia Giraldo Vásquez, and Roberto Lamberts. “A review of human thermal comfort in the built environment.” Energy and Buildings 105 (2015): 178-205.
  • Seppanen, O, Fisk, W.J., Lei, Q.H. “Room temperature and productivity in office work” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2006
  • Tarantini, Mariantonietta, Giovanni Pernigotto, and Andrea Gasparella. “A Co-Citation Analysis on Thermal Comfort and Productivity Aspects in Production and Office Buildings.” Buildings 7, no. 4 (2017): 36.
  • Zeiler, Wim, and Gert Boxem. “Effects of thermal activated building systems in schools on thermal comfort in winter.” Building and Environment 44, no. 11 (2009): 2308-2317.
Primary Research
  • Chang, Tom Y., and Agne Kajackaite. “Battle for the thermostat: Gender and the effect of temperature on cognitive performance.” PloS one 14, no. 5 (2019): e0216362.
  • Cui, Weilin, Guoguang Cao, Jung Ho Park, Qin Ouyang, and Yingxin Zhu. “Influence of indoor air temperature on human thermal comfort, motivation and performance.” Building and environment 68 (2013): 114-122
  • Heerwagen, Judith. “Green buildings, organizational success and occupant productivity.” Building Research & Information 28, no. 5-6 (2000): 353-367.
  • Lee, M. C., K. W. Mui, L. T. Wong, W. Y. Chan, E. W. M. Lee, and C. T. Cheung. “Student learning performance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air-conditioned university teaching rooms.” Building and Environment 49 (2012): 238-244.
  • Schellen, Lisje, Marcel GLC Loomans, Martin H. de Wit, Bjarne Wilkens Olesen, and W. D. van Marken Lichtenbelt. “The influence of local effects on thermal sensation under non-uniform environmental conditions—Gender differences in thermophysiology, thermal comfort and productivity during convective and radiant cooling.” Physiology & behavior 107, no. 2 (2012): 252-261.