Field studies of the Artificial Intelligence model for defining indoor thermal comfort to acknowledge the adaptive aspect

• Published in: Engineering applications of artificial intelligence Vol. 133; p. 108381
• Main Authors: Karyono, Kanisius, Abdullah, Badr M., Cotgrave, Alison, Bras, Ana, Cullen, Jeff
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2024
• Subjects: Adaptive system; Artificial intelligence; Field study; Human presence; Thermal comfort; Thermal comfort; Adaptive system; Artificial intelligence; Field study; Human presence
• ISSN: 0952-1976; 1873-6769
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engappai.2024.108381

Numerous Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions are available for achieving thermal comfort. They were either trained with limited datasets or using personalized training with limited field studies. This work assessed the model that used the ASHRAE multiple databases as the shallow supervised learning dataset for an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based controller suitable for the residential dwellings' node. The learning accuracy can be increased to 96.1%. This paper presented the field studies to show the model performances for the common UK dwellings: the prior 1970s, the new, modular, refurbished, and the use of new materials to improve indoor thermal performance. The result shows that the model was able to perform in different environments and able to acknowledge adaptive human comfort. This was shown by the ability to represent 98.90% of the ASHRAE Standard 55 data, 6.06% improvement from the previous research. As a result, the broader comfort zone acknowledgement can lead to energy saving whilst maintaining comfort by the possibility of lowering the temperature set point. This study also proves that further energy savings can be acquired from the occupants’ presence, scheduling, and activities. These factors can increase the comfort probability to more than 10%.
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•This paper addresses the gap between the physiology and the psychology thermal comfort approach, dominated by AI solutions.•The work shows a wider comfort zone which has been identified to become progressively narrower over the past several decades.•The field studies represent major UK-dwelling cases that weren’t addressed in the previous Artificial Intelligence approach.•The occupant presence and scheduling can contribute to more than a 10% increase in comfort which impacts energy saving.•This work highlights the possibility of achieving indoor thermal comfort with less energy for more sustainable dwellings.