PD3-4 Observation of the Thermal Conditions and Thermal Responses of Office Workers in “Cool Biz” Implemented Office in Summer in Japan

• Published in: Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2007, Vol.26 (2), p.318-318
• Main Authors: Hikaru KOSHIMIZU, Yutaka TOCHIHARA, Kenichi AZUMA, Koichi IKEDA
• Format: Article
• Language: Japanese
• ISSN: 1880-6791

This paper reports the results of measurement in “Cool Biz” thermal environments and workers' responses, including evaluation of thermal environments. The subjects were 83 male and female office workers at an office located in the middle of Tokyo. Thermal conditions include ambient temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, and radiant temperature which were measured automatically every 5 minutes. Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) were also calculated. In the questionnaire, the thermal sensation vote, comfort vote and actual clothing worn were recorded. The preference of each worker and physical characteristics were also asked. The thermal conditions in the office were relatively comfortable, although the ambient temperature was approximately 27.0 C. However, the workers perceived the thermal condition differently. Women's perception was rather neutral, whereas the men's perception was diverse. It was considered that this diversity came from the individual constitution. Referring to the same room, some subjects considered the room too hot but for some it was comfortable. The mean of the clo value was 0.53 clo, which showed that the workers wore very light summer clothes. No men wore jackets in the office and only 12 percent of them wore neckties. The mean value of PMV of each worker was 0.50 and PPD was 12.4%. For comfort in these kinds of “Cool Biz” offices, light clothing is required, and active use of fan and dehumidifier are also recommended.