Routledge Handbook of Resilient Thermal Comfort is published

The ICE lab contributed two book chapters with its vision of the resilient solutions related to climate change and efficient energy management in modern buildings. Chapter 13 titled "Resiliency lessons of traditional living in nomadic yurts" (by Dolaana Khovalyg) presents a comparison of the thermal performance of the modern highly insulated housing and the somewhat archaic nomadic yurts to draw attention to the lessons that could be learned from traditional structures in use for over 2500 years. Three resiliency lessons from traditional living in nomadic yurts could be potentially applied to modern housing. First of all, the spatial orientation of the housing considering the local landscape might be more important than just the U-values proposed in modern regulations. Secondly, the use of a quick response thermal system that is on only when humans are present is an excellent example of matching demand and supply. Thirdly, low-grade materials efficiently used in the yurt provide an ultimate example of resource-sufficient living. The ultimate lesson from these yurts is how to downgrade the energy use of our modern housings while increasing their resiliency in the challenging years and decades to come.

Chapter 22 "Reaching thermal comfort zone limits for resilient building operation" (by Dolaana Khovalyg, Verena M. Barhthelmes, and Arnab Chatterjee) highlights that the operation of buildings in practice tends to follow a cautious approach by setting the indoor temperatures, for instance, in winters, at the upper limit of the acceptability range, aiming to maximize the occupants’ satisfaction rather than at the lower limit that could lead to minimized energy use. To support this, the chapter presents the field measurements in an office building in Switzerland within the eCOMBINE project. In the case study analyzed, the cautious operation of buildings with relatively elevated winter setpoint makes people underdress and accustomed to higher temperatures in their workplaces in winters and, at the same time, makes them ask for even higher temperatures. This vicious cycle needs to be interrupted to move toward a more resilient operation of buildings by gradually expanding the range of indoor temperature setpoints in a way that occupants can adjust to a broader range of the thermal environment and eventually adapt to the wider comfort limits. This is particularly relevant because of climate change and the necessity for occupants to build up resiliency to extreme weather events, and the existing building stock to adapt to the increasing in-out heat fluxes.