Challenging assumptions about the ambient temperatures people need
Russell Hitchings co-hosts workshop on thermal comfort
On November 21st, Dr Russell Hitchings, with colleagues from Lancaster University and the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, hosted a workshop on thermal comfort.
All over the world people are increasingly provided with ambient temperatures that hover around 22ºC because this is the point at which they are assumed to be most productive and comfortable. Yet specifying ambient conditions in this way entails immense amounts of energy to support heating, air conditioning and other technologies.
This workshop, including policymakers and researchers from energy companies and academia, considered how research and policy might go about challenging such assumptions and thereby encourage more sustainable ways of achieving thermal comfort in future. Naturally enough, refreshments included appropriately shaped biscuits made by the workshop team (see picture).