Term: Thermal Comfort

Defined by Dr P. Ole Fanger as “the condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment.”  Dr Fanger identified thermal comfort as being determined by: air temperature, ‘radiant’ temperatures (the temperatures of walls, floor and ceiling), air movement (draughts), temperature stratification (differences in temperature from floor to ceiling), relative humidity (RH), the insulative value of clothing (‘CLO Value’) and physical activity level (‘Met Value’).

These form the basis of ASHRAE’s standards for thermal comfort. In contrast, ‘adaptive models’ describe thermal comfort as a function of physiological, psychological and behavioural factors.

Source: The Passivhaus Handbook