Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the effects of the aging from residential dwellings which are specifically concerned with heating and cooling systems. Also this paper attempts to clarify the characteristics and problems associated with it. For the purpose, we conducted surveys among 900 residents of western Japan during both winter and summer, the residents arranged with three age groups.
The main results are as follows :
1) In the summer, the most popular cooling systems are air conditioners among young and middle-aged people, and electric fans among old people over 60.
2) In the winter, the heating mechanism most commonly used are unvented burning heaters among the middle and old people, and “kotatsu” -style heating among those under 40.
3) In the summer, the choice of a cooling system by older people are determined by individual constitution and the body mass index. In the winter, choice of a heating system is affected more by the age of the dwelling or family composition than by constitutional needs.
