Using IoT to understand occupant thermal preferences in large open plan offices

抄録

The paper describes the application of low-cost internet-enabled sensing devices that can continuously capture the thermal preferences of occupants in open plan offices while recording the indoor environmental conditions at high temporal and spatial resolutions. The application of the methodology in a large open plan office is demonstrated and the diversified thermal preferences of the occupants in the office are analysed. The study includes records for a period of approximately 13 months during which the occupants initiated 505 expressions of preference for a change of their working thermal environment. The responses were combined with approximately 1.7 million timestamp records and examples are given on potential uses of such rich datasets. The paper concludes by illustrating the potential benefits that could be gained in open plan offices with flexible desk allocation arrangements by using the data from low-cost, easily deployable monitoring devices to directly communicate suggestions for alternative locations to the occupants who express a preference for a different thermal environment.