To address the specific Annex objectives, the research and development work in this Annex are divided into three subtasks.

Subtask A: Collecting field data on comfort and occupant responses, and research into models of adaptation

This subtask will collect the existing thermal comfort research data from the participating countries. New investigations and experiments will also be conducted. The relevant information includes the indoor physical environment, occupants’ thermal reactions, their adaptive behaviors, and the corresponding building energy use where practicable. Based on these data, the mechanisms of thermal adaptation will be analyzed with a view to understanding the processes of physiological, psychological and behavioral adaptation. The subtask will be divided into the following distinct research activities:

Activity A1: Standardize the description of field study data from various resources and make a uniform data format.

Activity A2: Collect existing field data and establish a worldwide database.

Activity A3: Quantification of uncertainty in thermal comfort instruments (objective and subjective).

Activity A4: Integrating the mechanisms of thermal adaptation and the database to develop the revised gray box adaptive thermal comfort model.

Subtask B: Criteria and guidelines for adaptive comfort and Personal Thermal Comfort Systems in standards

This subtask will focus on the application of adaptive thermal comfort theory in standards and guidelines for indoor thermal comfort and energy performance in buildings. Based on the adaptive thermal comfort concept, the participants will develop input to indoor thermal environment standards, to propose building design strategies using the adaptive approach and to provide design criteria and guidelines for Personal Thermal Comfort Systems. The subtask will be divided into the following activities:

Activity B1: Analyze and improve the adaptive model and criteria for use in existing standards for indoor thermal environment.

Activity B2: Provide design guidelines on how to use adaptive comfort for lowering energy in buildings including the usage of Personal Thermal Comfort Systems.

Activity B3: Provide design criteria and guidelines for Personal Thermal Comfort Systems.

Activity B4: Guidelines for the assessment of uncertainties in current and new models.

Subtask C: Case studies - Practical learnings from exemplary adaptive buildings, supporting Subtasks A & B

This subtask will conduct case studies in the participating countries, which will focus on the best practices of building performance. This study will provide suggestions to the building designers how to use appropriate design methods to achieve thermal comfort in an “adaptive” way, which will save much energy. The subtask will be divided into the following research activities:

Activity C1: Conduct instrumental indoor environment measurements to analyze the performance of target buildings from the view of indoor comfort, occupant behavior, and energy use.

Activity C2: Lessons learned and develop recommendations for “adaptive” building design, operation and refurbishment.

Activity C3: Collect successful cases to compile a compendium, as an appendix of the guidelines from Subtask B, to help readers to relate the outcomes of this project to their work.