Senior High School Department

Manila Campus

An Investigation of an Air-Conditioning Control System based on

Occupant Thermal Comfort Standards in a Bedroom

Gerolaga, Venz Nathan C.

Pedrajas, Lance Matthew N.

3rd Term, AY2022-2023

November 11, 2022
 Abstract

The primary senses of human beings play a vital role in determining their

respective views on human comfort. One's perception of human comfort depends on the

thermal assessment of their environment or surrounding. Studies have shown how HVAC

systems may be a method for improving an air conditioner user's perception of comfort.

In the Philippines, for example, air conditioning is commonly used for cooling in

buildings as they observe a tropical climate characterized by high humidity, constant

rainfall, and a relatively increasing heat index. The aim of the research is to investigate

whether or not a fused-remote-sensing control system for an air-conditioner can improve

occupants' thermal comfort. This will be done by evaluating the thermal comfort of

occupants using a thermal comfort survey and PMV as the thermal comfort index, then

comparing the thermal comfort of occupants between the modified and unmodified air

conditioner.

Keywords: HVAC, comfort, environment, air conditioning, temperature, thermal

comfort

i
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ......................................................................................................................... i

Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background of the Study ......................................................................................... 1

1.2 Research Objectives ................................................................................................ 2
1.3 Scope and Limitations ............................................................................................. 3
1.4 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 4

Chapter 2. Review of Related Literature .................................................................. 6

2.1 Perceived Human Comfort ...................................................................................... 6

2.1.1 Importance of Comfort Standards .................................................................. 6
2.2 Occupant comfort in relation to indoor environment .............................................. 7
2.2.1 Sleeping Environment .................................................................................... 7
2.2.2 Working/Studying Environement .................................................................. 8
2.2.3 Setting in the Philippines .............................................................................. 10
2.app Summary of Occupant Comfort in relation to indoor environment ............ 12
2.3 Thermal Comfort ................................................................................................... 13
2.3.1 Measured Quantities ..................................................................................... 14
2.3.2 Predicted Mean Vote .................................................................................... 16
2.4 Previous models for air-conditioning control systems .......................................... 18

Appendix A. Informed Consent ............................................................................... 20

Appendix B. Thermal Comfort Survey ................................................................... 32
Appendix C. Gantt Chart of Activities .................................................................... 34

References .................................................................................................................. 35

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air

Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), human comfort pertains to the condition of a person's

mind, which expresses satisfaction with their thermal environment. Discomfort, on the

other hand, emphasizes on approaching the extremities of the conditions given at a certain

place or area — such as temperature, humidity, and capacity, among others

(ElectricalWorkbook, n.d). The primary senses of human beings play a vital role in

determining their respective views on human comfort. These include tactile (touch), visual

(sight), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste). The senses mentioned

can either work independently or together to identify one's comfort or discomfort

regarding the condition of their surroundings.

In the Philippines, the climate is tropical, characterized by high humidity, constant

rainfall, and a relatively increasing heat index (PAGASA, n.d). Similar to most tropical

countries in Southeast Asia, air conditioning is commonly used for cooling in buildings

(Fowler, 2005, as cited in Andamon, 2006, p.66). Such can be prevalent in the nation's

capital region, Metro Manila, wherein the majority of modern office buildings of

1
established local and international offices can be found (Andamon et al., 2006). Air

conditioning systems, in particular, display major significance in giving comfort to the

aforementioned properties. Thus, an inverse relationship can be made between the thermal

conditions of the environment and the appropriate temperature desired for human comfort

(e.g., hot environments are being cooled while cold indoor environments are being heated)

(Shove, 2003).

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems prioritize indoor

environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, airflow, air quality, etc.,

while taking heat management into account (FMLink, 2020). Considering this, it may be

a method for improving an air conditioner user's perception of comfort. Moreover, it may

provide a more comfortable environment for doing activities such as sleeping, studying,

working, and others.

1.2 Research Objectives

The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of a fused-remote-sensing

control system in improving the occupants' perception of comfort; this will be done by

comparing the comfort of occupants in a bedroom during regular air-conditioning

2
compared to air-conditioning with a control system developed. The specific objectives to

be done are as follows:

1. To identify the factors affecting the occupant’s perception of comfort;

2. To build a control system that will sense temperature, air speed, and humidity at

multiple locations; and

3. To compare the comfortability of occupants between the ordinary air-conditioner

and the modified air-conditioner with a fused-remote-sensing control system.

1.3 Scope and Limitations

This study will tackle the factors that affect occupant thermal comfort, especially

those that can be influenced by air-conditioning. Only a single A/C unit and room located

in Metro Manila will be used. In order to compare the A/C with and without the control

system, the thermal comfort of the occupants for both will be evaluated.

The thermal comfort evaluation will be conducted for eight days in total, four days

for each setup. Moreover, the participants are the two occupants staying in the bedroom.

They will be engaging in activities restricted to the bedroom, such as sleeping and

working/studying. The process which will be undertaken is that the participant will be

3
doing the activity in the normal “expected” time period in the day. For sleep 10:00 pm -

6:00 am, and for studying or working 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm.

Sensors will be placed in the room to measure the air temperature, mean radiant

temperature, relative humidity, and air speed. These will be conducted in a single bedroom

at locations where the occupants will usually be doing certain activities. The locations are

limited to the desk used for studying and working and at the bed for sleeping. The data

obtained will be needed for the computation of the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), which is

the thermal comfort index. Arduino will also be utilized to read the sensors and control

the system. Additionally, the A/C control system will be limited to setting the air

temperature and air velocity (fan speed setting).

1.4 Significance of the Study

This paper may contribute to providing further knowledge by showing how HVAC

systems can be improved through the application of thermal comfort standards. The

findings from the study can be used to determine how control systems of home air

conditioning systems can be modified to optimize comfort in an indoor environment and

can also validate some of the comfort standards that were stated by previous studies.

4
 Room occupants will be the primary beneficiaries of the study as the findings may

contribute to the improvement of indoor comfort. Additionally, mechanical engineers,

particularly those dealing with the creation and management of HVAC systems, will also

benefit as the results can help towards the effectiveness of the HVAC system’s

construction as well as other control system units in better progress.

5
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Perceived Human Comfort

With the given definition by ASHRAE, it implies that human comfort is an internal

response of the human body in relation to the environmental factors dealing with

temperature, which gives an approach with respect to people and is executed through the

use of the modification of atmospheric properties and the ventilation within such

(Electrical Workbook, 2021). With regards to temperature, thermal comfort, a

subcategory of human comfort, is heavily involved in the perception of people on the

constant environmental changes and this pertains to one's inner condition that satisfies

their response to indoor environmental changes in relation to thermal factors (Hoof et al.,

2010).

2.1.1 Importance of Comfort Standards

Thermal comfort is known to be a significant component of the creation of the

building design given that the occupants of the structure tend to mostly stay inside of it

either for residential or institutional purposes (Hoof et al., 2010). This has led to the rapid

increase in having the interest to know more about the possible influences of indoor

6
environmental factors towards the occupants (Markov, 2002). Subsequently, the

aforementioned practice can be applied, for instance, in the temperature of surfaces in

which may or may not satisfy the comfort of the occupants depending on the climate and

weather’s thermal conditions (Electrical Workbook, 2021).

2.2 Occupant comfort in relation to indoor environment

2.2.1 Sleeping Environment

According to Alkahtani et al. (2019), current studies imply that people who do

sleep tend to not adapt to the changes surrounding them as the exposure gradually gets

longer. A pre-sleep thermal environment with a higher thermal index through human

thermoregulation range lessens the occurrences of sleeping latently although on contrary

to such statement, sleep fragmentation primarily depends on the thermal perceptions in

the middle of sleeping sessions. It has monotonically increased along with discomfort in

relation to the temperature characteristics and bed climate as well as a warm sensation that

exceeds 0.8 °C was found to be counterproductive with giving emphasis and importance

towards sleep quality improvement (Song et al., 2020).

In a study conducted by Lan et al. (2014), they set a room with occupants at three

different temperatures, 23 °C, 26 °C, and 30 °C, every interval of such lasts long for an

7
approximate duration of 9 hours and 25 minutes. When the subjects wake up, they were

requested to assess how they were sleeping as well as to state their observations while

sleeping, particularly with regards to their temperature.

For the outcomes of the experimental procedures, the quantities of air temperatures

and mean radiant temperatures were not able to deviate from the levels they were supposed

to have. They found that the duration of sleep during onset latency (the time between

turning off the lights and falling asleep) was shown to be longer at 23 °C or 30 °C.

Furthermore, it was shown that slow wave sleep or deep sleep lasted for fewer hours at

such temperatures. This was supported by the lower subjective quality of sleep reported

by the subjects. They felt that 23 °C was uncomfortably cool, 26 °C was slightly cool, and

30 °C was warm for sleeping (Lan et al. 2014).

2.2.2 Working/Studying Environment

There are environmental factors that affect the thermal comfort of employees

within offices and formalized establishments, and these include air temperature, radiant

temperature, air velocity, and humidity. Despite air temperature being the most prevalent

and well-known indicator, the other aforementioned factors also contribute to a better

perception of comfort in the workplace (SafeWork NSW, 2022). Air temperature refers to

the physical measures that approximately describe the degree of how hot or cold the

8
atmosphere is (Spiridonov, 2021). Radiant temperature, on the other hand, pertains to a

manner of representing the personal experiences of humans to how they experience

radiance in relation to temperature (Climate-ADAPT, n.d). Air velocity is defined as the

measurement of space that is influential to the direct relationship between occupant and

the indoor environment through the usage of convective heat, whereas humidity is the

measurement of the quantity of water vapor found in the atmosphere (Kurnitski et. al,

2013).

According to various physiological and psychological results, it was proven that

work performance is more prone to the effects of relative humidity with high thermal

conditions in consideration, attaining the degree of the aforementioned relative humidity

measurement estimates at 4-10% compared to relative humidity with low temperature

factors. It was proven that a larger quantity of fresh air with regards to an environment

with an increasing temperature and decreasing humidity helped neurobehavioral tasks

perform better. Interactions originating from indoor environmental factors may result in

changes depending on analyzing single factors alone. To elaborate on such statement, this

can be applied in an instance involving the opening of windows as this is an effective way

to obtain more fresh air, however, at the same time, people may still feel discomfort due

to traffic noise from outside; thus, forming an accepted relationship being applicable

whenever the thermal conditions of the atmosphere and relative humidity of perceived air

9
quality (Wu et al., 2020). Based on what Fang et al. (n.d) stated, people think of air quality

as negative despite the appropriate amount of ventilation whenever the temperature of air

yields at 28 °C while the relative humidity is greater than 70%.

Another study conducted by Cui et. al (2013) has the primary objective of drawing

appropriate conclusions regarding the influence level of objective factor and subjective

factor, tackling the quantity of temperature and personal motivation, respectively, on the

academic performance of students. They found that the optimal temperature range for

performance was between 22 °C (slightly cold) and 26 °C (a little higher than neutral).

Environments that were warm and uncomfortable had a negative impact on both

motivation and performance. In addition, they stated that the learning effect was greatly

increased due to temperature improving comfort and making people more motivated.

2.2.3 Setting in the Philippines

Fowler stated that air conditioning for cooling has been frequently implemented

in contemporary institutional structures in the Philippines, similar to the other countries

found in Southeast Asia (as cited in Andamon, 2006, p.66). This shows that the office

buildings are functioning containing a short range of index while also maintaining

temperature bandwidths that is directly proportional with the lesser component of the

provided comfort criteria. However, the occupants' respective preferences still take up a

10
big chunk on how they perceive indoor thermal comfort (Andamon, 2005). A reason for

this can be their measurement of human bodily features based on the quantities of their

length, width, thickness, and circumference, among others (Novabos et al, 2012).

Considering the technologies that can be found and used nowadays, it has become normal

to be dependent on mechanical systems in the built environment.

A prominent example of this can be air conditioners that have contributed to the

transformations of buildings in the country from how normal they are to them having their

unique attributes and properties in various areas around the globe. Thermal comfort in the

Philippines has been achieved in a convenient way through regulating temperature with

predetermined indoor air temperature and air ventilation rate heavily involved. These

contribute to a more efficient management and functionality that will be provided by the

conventional HVAC system for the indoor climate to be more appropriate and suitable for

the occupants. Likewise, each and everyone’s perception of the locality pertaining to

comfort may differ as such affects their way of viewing and giving insights towards the

environment (e.g., hot or cold, humid or dry, noisy or quiet, bright or dark) alongside a

value consisting of implications emphasizing on a high degree of temperature (i.e., too

hot, too cold). The thermal preference of the office workers in this study translates to a

lower and narrower temperature range of 21.5°C to 24.5°C, at 80% acceptability. The

11
optimum temperature value that best describes the comfort temperature of the office

workers is 22.2°C (Andamon, 2006).

2.2.4 Summary of Occupant Comfort in relation to indoor environment

Occupant comfort in relation to indoor environment

Excessively Warm Sensation: 0.8 °C (Song et. al, 2020).

Sleeping Subjective Sleep Quality Decreased: 23 °C, 30 °C (Lan et al.

Environment 2014)

Slightly cool for sleep: 26 °C (Lan et al. 2014)

Range of Temperature where Air Quality becomes Negative

Working and in Workplace: x > 28 °C (Fang et. al, n.d).
Studying
Environment Optimal Temperature Range for Efficient Academic
Performance: 22 °C ≤ x ≤ 28 °C (Cui et. al, 2013).

Range of Filipino Office Workers’ Thermal Preference: 21.5

°C x 24.5 °C, 80% acceptability (Andamon, 2005).
Setting in the
Philippines
Optimum Temperature (that best describes the comfort
temperature): 22.2 °C (Andamon, 2006).

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2.3 Thermal Comfort

As defined by ASHRAE 55 (2010), thermal comfort is “that condition of mind

which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment.” Inadequate indoor air

conditions in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality negatively impact people’s

health and productivity (Atthajariyakul & Leephakpreeda, 2004) as the physiological

control system is able to exert as little effort as possible when environmental conditions

achieve excellent thermal comfort. Heat loss to the environment is increasing or

decreasing due to the control system regulating internal body temperature by altering the

amount of blood flowing to different skin regions. Another physiological response is

sweat production, which can evaporate from the skin in hot or warm environments, or an

increase in metabolic heat production by shivering in cold temperatures (ASHRAE, 2017).

Robert Bean, Member ASHRAE and member of ASHRAE’s Residential

Buildings Committee, stated that in hot and humid conditions, controlled humidity, air

temperature, mean radiant, airspeed, and personal factors affect people’s perceptions of

their thermal comfort.

People’s thermal sensations and preferences depend on environmental factors

(temperature and humidity) and a variety of human-perspective factors — including

physiological factors (gender, heart rate), psychological factors (stress, beliefs, and

13
attitudes), and behavioral factors (activity, clothing level). Individual thermal sensation

and satisfaction differences emerge from this (Li et al., 2017).

2.3.1 Measured quantities

Air Temperature

Air temperature pertains to the thermal condition of the atmosphere that surrounds

an individual. This is quantified either through degrees Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit

(°F), similar to other types of temperatures (Munro et al, 2016). It contributes to the

constant rate of heat loss obtained from the body and is executed through convecting and

evaporating the necessary properties such as humidity and air velocity. With that in mind,

it is yet to be considered as the determinant that is most significant in relation to thermal

comfort as a narrow range of temperature measurements suitable for comfort may be

established that are not relying on the attributes of other variables (Choudhury et. al,

2011).

Mean Radiant Temperature

The mean radiant temperature is the uniform temperature of an imaginary

enclosure in which radiant heat transfer from the human body is equal to the radiant heat

transfer in the actual non-uniform enclosure. The mean radiant temperature can be

measured by instruments which allow the generally heterogeneous radiation from the

14
walls of an actual enclosure to be "integrated" into a mean value. A tool known as a "black

globe thermometer" is often utilized to measure an approximation of the mean radiant

temperature from the simultaneously measured values of globe temperature, air

temperature and air velocity surrounding the globe (ISO 7726, 1998).

Air speed

The rate of air movement at a specific point and does not depend on direction, is

referred to as airspeed (ASHRAE 55, 2017).

Clothing Insulation

Clothing insulation states the concept behind how a single garment or a

combination of such insulates against varying temperature levels (Makinen et. al, 2009).

This is a crucial parameter in thermal comfort as the concept is applied in determining the

heat stress levels of a person wearing clothes and garments in an environment with

constant temperature changes. It is also dependent on the amount of moisture vapor

evaporation for the thermal equilibrium of the body to be balanced (Alagirusamy et. al,

2010).

Metabolic rate

15
 The rate at which a person's metabolic processes convert chemical energy into heat

and mechanical work. It is expressed per unit of skin surface area (met) and is equivalent

to 58.2 W/m2 (18.4 Btu/hft2), which is the amount of energy produced per unit of skin

surface area by an average person sat at rest (ASHRAE 55, 2017).

Relative Humidity

Relative humidity (RH) refers to the measurement of the quantity of water vapor

contained in a water-air mixture and comparing it to the amount that will reach the

maximum. Subsequently, this also gives emphasis to the value of the humidity ratio of a

specific water-air mixture as well as the data supporting the saturation humidity ratio at a

certain temperature. (Callahan et. al, 2019).

Combined thermal effect of all physical components plays the most significant

role in establishing a person's thermal state.

2.3.2 Predicted Mean Vote

Povl Ole Fanger developed a type of index called the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV)

model. The PMV model is regarded as the most well-known in thermal comfort standards.

It is utilized globally to determine the thermal comfort conditions in air-conditioned and

16
naturally ventilated buildings (Gilani et al., 2015). Fanger developed his general comfort

equation with the concept that the combined thermal effect of all physical components

plays the most significant role in establishing a person's thermal state (Fanger, 1970).

Therefore, it is possible to determine the air temperature, mean radiant temperature, air

velocity, and humidity levels that will generate thermal comfort for any activity level and

any clothing by using the comfort equation (Li et al., 2017). The Thermal Comfort Tool

by Tartarini et al. (2020) is an interface that enables users to execute calculations related

to thermal comfort without needing the requirement of coding which will then be used to

calculate the PMV. It allows users to view the thermal comfort zones on a chart with the

indoor operative temperature and various outdoor temperature indices that comply with

the adaptive models in the ASHRAE 55-2017 or EN 16798-1:2019 Standards. Figure 3

below shows a screenshot of the Thermal Comfort Tool.

17
 Figure 1: CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

2.4 Previous models for air-conditioning control systems

Previous models found include a designed architecture for an embedded system

by Leephakpreeda (2012) utilizing indoor comfort temperature as reference for an air

conditioner. The real-time temperature controller and computation unit for determining

the indoor comfort temperature are both parts of the embedded system. The

implementation of an analog-to-digital converter measures the indoor and outdoor air

temperatures. The reference temperature is then calculated by a computational device

18
using the outdoor temperature's sequential data. The temperature controller is used to

regulate the supply air's temperature of the A/C unit making the indoor temperature match

a reference temperature.

In a project by Ngene & Gunda (2018), thermal comfort devices like the air

conditioner and room heater are controlled by an Arduino Uno board equipped with an

Atmega328p microcontroller and thermal sensor DHT11. The amplified power circuit,

which also turns on the cooling unit's LED indicator, is automatically activated by the

microcontroller if it determines that the read temperature is higher than 25 °C. As long as

the temperature is between 20 and 25 °C, both the heating and cooling units stay turned

off because this is the comfort zone. If the temperature drops below 20 °C, however, the

heating system automatically turns on and illuminates the LED lights for the heating unit.

19
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Activities

3.1.1 Review of Related Literature

The first research activity involved reviewing the factors affecting occupant

comfort and the comfort standards depending on activities performed by people indoors,

such as sleeping and studying, or working. Similar studies in the Philippine setting were

also reviewed, particularly in Metro Manila.

3.1.2 Determine Specifications of Bedroom and Air-conditioner

The second procedure is to find out the specifications of the bedroom and air-

conditioning unit that will be used. In addition, the size and measurements of their

bedroom, the room layout, and the number of occupants will be determined.

3.1.3 Control System Design and Development

This research activity to be executed involves the development of the control

system that will be used to read the sensors and control the air-conditioning system. It will

20
be developed using the Arduino software. Moreover, the sensors capable of measuring a

room's environmental conditions (i.e., air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative

humidity, and airspeed) will also be selected. The different factors, such as availability,

cost, and functionality, are considered in selecting.

3.1.4 Prototype Testing and Data Collection

In order to verify that the sensors are working as expected, tests must be initially

performed. The following are procedures to be done for each sensor:

DHT22 (Temperature and humidity sensor)

1. Connect the sensor to an Arduino Uno. The leftmost pin (VCC) is

connected to 5V power, the second pin is connected to the data input pin

of the Arduino Uno, and the rightmost pin is connected to GND.

2. Get the temperature reading from the sensor.

3. Now, get the temperature using an analog thermometer and the humidity

using a hygrometer.

4. Base from the DHT22 datasheet and check if the temperature readings

are within the range of tolerance.

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 LM35 (Temperature sensor)

1. Connect the sensor to an Arduino Uno. The leftmost pin (VCC) is

connected to 5V power, the second pin is connected to the data input pin

of the Arduino Uno, and the third pin is connected to GND.

2. Connect the DHT22 to the Arduino Uno.

3. Get the temperature reading from both of the sensors.

4. Check if the values shown by both sensors are close.

UT363 (Air speed sensor)

It was presumed that the UT363 from the institution of De La Salle University

(DLSU) is verified and up to standard.

To evaluate the performance of the air-conditioner, sensors will be placed in a

single bedroom at locations where the occupants will usually be doing certain activities.

The locations are at the desk when studying or working and at the bed when sleeping.

Additionally, at the end of each testing period the occupants will be given a thermal

comfort survey based on ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, asking for their basic information

(age, height, and weight, clothing insulation), thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and

subjective symptoms.

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 The testing period will be held in the late afternoon (study) and 10:00 pm - 6:00

am (sleep) and will be done around the same time for four days. The same procedure will

be followed when testing the fused-remote-sensing control system.

3.1.5 Data analysis

The Predicted Mean Vote will be calculated using the Thermal Comfort Tool by

Tartarini et al., 2020 and be used as the Thermal Comfort Index. Furthermore, the Thermal

Comfort Survey and Thermal Comfort Index will be utilized to evaluate and compare the

collected data.

3.1.6 Documentation

Documentation is significant for the whole methodology process as this helps in

organizing and validating the necessary data and information gathered. Additionally, this

also provides adequate transparency and reference to the researchers and the readers.

3.2 Research Design

The study involves both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to collect

the needed data. A quantitative approach is efficient to measure the data pertaining to

23
environmental factors that can be found in a room as well as the individual body

conditions of those residing in the room. For the qualitative component, a survey will be

administered that focuses on the subjects’ perceived thermal comfort and thermal

sensation.

3.2.1 Data Collection Method

Sensors will be placed in the room where the occupants would normally do a

certain activity such as at the beds (sleep) and at the desk (study) to collect the data for

environmental conditions. The qualitative data, on the other hand, will be obtained

through a survey questionnaire. It will be administered to the occupants and ask for their

age, height, weight, clothing insulation, thermal sensation, thermal comfort, subjective

symptoms (e.g., headache, coldness on the hands/legs/body, swelling on the legs). These

variables will help in understanding what the occupants felt during the testing period.

3.2.2 Data Collection Instruments

The sensors will measure the environmental conditions of an indoor space,

particularly the air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and

airspeed. It will then be interfaced to the Arduino which will read the sensors. The

Thermal Comfort Survey (see Appendix B) is developed based on Fukawa et al. (2021)

24
and the ASHRAE Standard 55-2017. The questions are categorized into basic information,

thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and subjective symptoms. The environmental

conditions and room occupants’ data collected will then be inputted in the Thermal

Comfort Tool by Tartarini et al. (2020) to find the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) — which

will be the Thermal Comfort Index. Since it involves personal experience and exposure

from occupants, their privacy and safety will be given importance in the procedure.

An Informed Consent Form (see Appendix A) will be given to the participants to

ask for their permission to perform the procedures needed for the study’s data collection.

They must be of legal age to answer the form. On the other hand, a parent or an authorized

guardian must fill up the consent form if the participant belongs to the minorities or

children 17 years old and below. Information that will be obtained in the study will remain

confidential and will only be disclosed if needed and permission from the respondent to

do so has been given. Additionally, privacy and anonymity of the participant's identity

will also be upheld.

3.2.3 Population Sample

The population of the study will be the two occupants residing in the same

condominium unit bedroom. They are selected as the primary demographic as the

residence they stay at is located within the suburban area of Metro Manila in the

25
Philippines, wherein majority of the properties that can be found are high-rise buildings

such as the aforementioned condominium property alongside headquarters of renowned

office establishments.

An Informed Consent Form is given to confirm if they agree to participate in the

study and to have their permission to use the data they provided. Confidentiality will be

exercised by keeping the identities of the participants anonymous. This will be done to

secure the privacy of the occupants. Additionally, an authorized guardian must also

consider being responsible in safeguarding the anonymity and privacy of the child

participant when filling up the consent form.

3.3 Data Analysis

The Thermal Comfort Index which is the PMV is to evaluate if the thermal

environment is acceptable for general comfort. If the value is within the range –0.5 < PMV

< +0.5, it can be considered acceptable. The scores of the PMV will be categorized by

activity for each air-conditioning setup. It will be analyzed by taking the mean of Day 1 -

4 and each air-conditioner setup will be compared using change score.

The Thermal Comfort Survey where the thermal sensation and thermal comfort

ratings of the occupants will also be analyzed in a similar manner. For the thermal

26
sensation scale, 4 being Very Hot and -4 being Very Cold. Then for the thermal comfort

scale, 2 is Comfortable and -2 is Discomfort.

The qualitative measures, on the other hand, involve the subjective symptoms

experienced by the occupants after each testing period. This is to see whether there are

subjective symptoms associated with the thermal environment.

The findings can shed insight on the effectiveness of an air-conditioning with a

fused-remote-sensing control system in improving the occupants' perception of comfort.

27
 APPENDIX

Appendix A.

Informed Consent Form

28
Research Protocol

The participant will be briefed about the process and asked for their Informed Consent to

participate through this form.

The data collection will start after the entire procedure has been explained to the

participant. This will include what activities they will be doing, the time of testing periods

across the 8 days, and contents of the surveys they will be answering at the end of each

testing period.

29
For the first day, the participant will be asked to perform the activity (studying) at the

study desk in the bedroom. During this, the room air-conditioner will be turned on and the

researchers will record their findings from the sensors placed at that location of the room.

It will be done in the late afternoon for 2-3 hours. At the end of the testing period, the

participant will be asked to answer a survey. Then, later at 10:00 pm in the evening of the

same day, until 6:00 am in the morning of the next day, the participant will be doing the

next activity, which is sleeping. The air-conditioner in the room will be activated once

again and the researchers will record their findings from the sensors located at the bed.

This whole process will be done for a total of 8 days. 4 days each for the regular air-

conditioning and the modified air-conditioner in the room.

30
31
Appendix B.

Thermal Comfort Survey

1. How old are you?

_____ years old

2. What is your height? (ft in/cm)

_____ ft _____ in

_____ cm

3. What is your weight? (lb/kg)

_____ lbs

_____ kg

4. Using the list below, please check each item that you are wearing right now.

(Check all that apply)

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Other: (Please note if you are wearing something not described above, or if you

think something you are wearing is especially heavy.) ____________________

5. What is your general thermal sensation? (Shade the one that is most

appropriate)

6. How comfortable did you feel overall while doing the activity? (Shade the one

that is most appropriate)

33
7. Did you experience any of the following when doing the activity? (Check all that

apply)

Appendix C

Gantt Chart of Activities

34
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