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People tend to spend considerable amounts of time in buildings; thus the issue of providing proper indoor environmental quality is of significant importance. This paper experimentally analyses the subjective sensations of the occupants of intelligent and traditional buildings with the focus on possible differences between these two types of buildings. The study is based on a large database of 1302 questionnaires collected in 92 rooms where simultaneous measurements of the indoor environment physical parameters (air and globe temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and illuminance) were carried out. Their impact on the subjective assessment of the indoor environment has been presented and analysed. The results show that the occupants seemed to be more favourable towards the indoor conditions in the intelligent building; however, the differences in comparison to the traditional buildings were not considerable. Similarly, self-reported productivity proved to be higher in the intelligent building, while the optimal range of air temperature, which ensured highest productivity, was 22–25 °C. Moreover, a strong correlation between the occupants' overall comfort and their perception of the air quality has been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses thermal comfort in intelligent and traditional buildings in Poland. It provides a comprehensive study on the subjective assessment of indoor environment conditions as well as on parameters that influence human thermal sensations and preferences. Direct measurements of physical parameters (e.g., air and globe temperature, relative humidity) as well as simultaneously conducted anonymous questionnaire studies were used to provide the necessary data. The study covered all seasons and a large number of participants representing various age groups and body build types, who completed a total of 1778 questionnaires. The results indicate that typically smart buildings offer higher levels of thermal comfort than the traditional ones and that people tend to prefer warmer environments. Moreover, it has been observed that the BMI index, air movement and the number of people per surface area can have an impact on the perceived thermal sensations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the indoor environment in two modern intelligent buildings located in Poland. Measurements of air and globe temperatures, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration in 117 rooms carried out in the space of 1.5 years were presented. Thermal comfort of the occupants has been investigated using a questionnaire survey. Based on 1369 questionnaires, thermal sensation, acceptability and preference votes were analysed in view of their interdependency as well as their dependency on operative temperature, which proved to be very strong. It has been found that the respondents did not completely rate thermal comfort and indoor environment quality as very high, although the overwhelming sensations were positive. Apart from the operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, this might have also been the cause of individual human factors, such as body mass index, as tested in the study, or the finding that people were generally in favour of a warmer environment. Moreover, thermal environment proved to be the most important element for ensuring the well-being of the occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]