New Project Funding: Energy Efficiency and Comfort in PCS

Prof. Dolaana Khovalyg from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Agnes Psikuta from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have joined forces to advance research on Personalized Comfort Systems (PCS). These innovative systems enable the direct heating and cooling of the human body, offering the potential to reduce energy consumption for indoor climate control by up to 60%.

With support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the researchers aim to develop comprehensive guidelines for the optimal use of thermal PCS using their state-of-the-art research tools. Their work contributes directly to Annex 87, an international initiative under the International Energy Agency (IEA) focused on improving the energy and indoor environmental quality performance of personalized environmental control systems. This project represents a significant step forward in enhancing global understanding of the energy efficiency of personalized systems and was highlighted in an SNSF news post.