Limiting criteria for using the adaptive thermal comfort model in offices

This study has primarily investigated whether adjusting clothing to remain in neutral thermal comfort at moderately elevated temperatures is sufficient to avoid health symptoms, discomfort, and reduced performance on mental tasks. The results showed that performance of several tasks was significantly worse at elevated temperature, although the subjects remained thermally neutral. This effect was accompanied by several physiological reactions, but no experienced health symptoms were reported. It is predicted that physiological responses were mainly responsible for the adverse effects on performance, as subjects did not indicate increased intensity of health symptoms, although they perceived air quality to be worse at the higher temperature. Results from this study show that poor performance on mental tasks can occur even when no thermal discomfort is experienced, and also indicate that temperature and thermal discomfort should be treated separately and not interchangeably.