Comfort monitoring for CEN standard EN15251 linked to EPBD

COMMONCENSE

An overview of the European

Standard EN 15251
Fergus Nicol1 and Mike Wilson2
1) London Metropolitan University,
2) University of Westminster UK

EN25251
This paper looks at the ways in which the
European Standard EN15251 takes the
setting of standards forward and considers
the ways in which future Standards can be
framed so as to make them more relevant
and applicable
EN15251 was one of a suite of Standards
intended to back up the Energy Performance
of Buildings Directive (EPBD)

EN15251
Breaks new ground:
1. Brings together existing information
about optimising thermal, air quality,
acoustic and visual comfort
2. Recognises the different experiences
occupants have of the thermal
environment in mechanically and
naturally ventilated buildings

EN15251

Reasons for the standard:

Recent studies have shown that costs of poor
indoor environment (is) often considerably
higher than the cost of the energy used in
the same building.
It has also been shown that good indoor
environmental quality can improve overall
work and learning performance and reduce
absenteeism.
In addition uncomfortable occupants are likely
to take actions to make themselves
comfortable which may have energy
implications.

EN15251

Thus:
An energy declaration without a
declaration related to the indoor
environment makes no sense.
There is therefore a need for specifying
criteria for the indoor environment
(thermal, acoustic and visual) for design,
energy calculations, performance and
operation of buildings.

EN15251

This paper will deal with three areas of

concern
1. The assumed character of the buildings
implied by the wording of the Standard
2. The categories used in the Standard
3. The limits of the categories and their
implications for diagnosing overheating
in buildings

EN15251 assumptions

The terminology of the HVAC industry

permeates the way in which the Standard is
presented so a naturally ventilated building is
buildings that do not have any mechanical
cooling and rely on other techniques to
reduce high indoor temperature
rather than:
buildings which do not need mechanical
cooling in order to remain comfortable

EN15251

Cooling/heating season
Part of the year during which cooling or
heating appliances are needed to keep the
indoor temperatures at specified levels
rather than Cooling/heating periods
Periods during which a particular building may
need mechanical cooling/heating appliances to
maintain comfortable indoor temperatures

EN15251
Ventilation system
Combination of appliances designed to supply
interior spaces with outdoor air and to extract
polluted indoor air
NOTE: The system can consist of mechanical
components (e.g. combination of air handling unit,
ducts and terminal units). Ventilation system can
also refer to natural ventilation systems making
use of temperature differences and wind with facade
grills in combination with exhaust (e.g. in corridors,
toilets etc.). ..

Categories in EN15251
Category

Explanation

High level of expectation only used for spaces

occupied by very sensitive and fragile
persons
Normal expectation for new buildings and
renovations
A moderate expectation (used for existing
buildings)

II
III

IV

Values outside the criteria for the above

categories (only acceptable for a limited
periods)

EN15251
Category
I

Mech vent
(PMV)
0.2

Free-running
(TopC)
2

II

0.5

III

0.7

IV

>0.7

>4

EN15251
Similarity between the limits of Categories I II
and III for mechanically ventilated buildings in
EN15251 and of Categories A, B and C in
ISO7730 implies that Category I is in some
way better than II especially with the phrase
High level of expectation in the description.
Such an interpretation will run counter to the
spirit of EPBD

Comfort temperature Tc (oC)

EN15251
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19

III
II
I
I
II
III
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Running mean outdoor temperature T rm (oC)

Comfort temperature defined as Tc = 0.33Trm + 18.8

Comfort temperature Tc (oC)

EN15251
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19

III
II
I
I
II
III

Can buildings be
comfortable here?

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Running mean outdoor temperature T rm (oC)

Comfort temperature defined as Tc = 0.33Trm + 18.8

Results from heavyweight Fulcrum office building in London:

Predicted comfort does not fit this building where occupants
choose cooler parts of the building in hotter weather

Comfort temperature

Predicted
Actual

Running Mean Temperature

Comfort temperature Tc (oC)

EN15251
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19

III
II
I
I
II
III
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Running mean outdoor temperature T rm (oC)

Comfort temperature defined as Tc = 0.33Trm + 18.8

Comfort temperature Tc (oC)

EN15251
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19

III
II
I
I
II
III

Cold limits?

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Running mean outdoor temperature T rm (oC)

Comfort temperature defined as Tc = 0.33Trm + 18.8

Comfort temperature Tc (oC)

EN15251
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19

Is this a
comfort
(Dutch?)
triangle?

III
II
I
I
II
III

Cold limits?

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Running mean outdoor temperature T rm (oC)

Comfort temperature defined as Tc = 0.33Trm + 18.8

EN15251
In mechanically ventilated buildings although
the range of PMV is specified the value achieved
will depend on the clothing and activity.
EN15251 gives examples of indoor
temperatures in Mechanically ventilated
buildings for clothing insulation values of 0.5 clo
for summer and 1.0 for winter
Such considerations can have big implications
for energy use, should this be more explicit in
a Standard related to EPBD?

 The British Council for Offices changed their

recommended indoor temperature for summer comfort
from 22 to 24oC after a survey found that for a sample
of office workers, there was more reported discomfort
at 22C than at 24C, and the preferred temperature
was 24.1C.
Productivity, more difficult to assess, was reported to
be highest when the indoor air temperature was 24C.
In addition it is estimated that this could lead to
energy savings of as much as 9%

Overheating and EN15251

EN15251 gives limits beyond which discomfort is
assumed to occur
Though it provides tests of severity based on distance
from the acceptable range, it still assumes that no
overheating occurs within category limits based on
PPD
Temperature
C
20
Cool
21
22
23
24
Neutral
25
26
27
Warm
28
29

wf(oC)

Weighting factors
wf(PPD)
3
4,7
2
3,1
1
1,9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1,9
2
3,1
3
4,7

No overheating?

Overheating guidance
The likelihood of discomfort is a function of the difference
between the indoor operative temperature and the
calculated comfort temperature.
e.g. from SCATs P = e(0.4734*T + 2.607)/{1+ e(0.4734*T + 2.607)}
Discomfort due to overheating
60%

Overheating risk

50%

40%

30%
20%

10%

0%
-2

-1

Difference between operative temperature and comfort temperature (oK)

Conclusions
EN15251 represents a distinct advance on earlier
comfort standards in
1. Introducing consideration of all environmental
factors which may have a bearing on energy
use
2. Defining comfort separately for free-running
buildings in terms of the outdoor running mean
temperature
3. Giving a way to allow for limits for indoor
conditions and for the extent of exceedance.

Conclusions
There are still a number of considerations which
need to be addressed
1. The wording of the standard seems to assume
that mechanical ventilation is the norm
2. Buildings - and the ways people use them - are
part of the equation suggesting that a single
set of limits will be inadequate, likewise in
mechanically ventilated buildings
3. Overheating and how to deal with it are not
adequately addressed

New approach?
Category

Explanation

Buildings using little or no energy to remain

comfortable

Buildings using some energy (e.g. seasonally)

to remain comfortable
Buildings using energy at all times to remain
comfortable

Such a category system would be more compatible with

the EPBD (Nicol and Humphreys BR&I 37(1) pp 68-73

THE CHALLENGE
Sustainability needs to be considered in the framing
of standards. Where acceptable low-energy solutions
are available they should be preferred.
Given a full understanding of the mechanisms at
work, it should be possible to produce thermal
standards for which do not resort to specifications of
the indoor climate. The characteristics of a building ...
in relation to the local climate may be sufficient.
Such standards will be more meaningful to building
designers and consequently will be more likely to be
used.
(Nicol & Humphreys, Windsor 2001: E&B 34(6) pp
563-572)