o Thermal Comfort Calculator

Accessed from the Tools menu

DesignBuilder provides a dialog which allows you calculate thermal comfort based on the Fanger comfort indicators PPD (% people dissatisfied) and PMV (predicted mean vote). These inputs are required:

• Air temperature (°C or °F)
• Radiant temperature (°C or °F)
• Clothing (Clo)
• Activity level method - choose from one of:
  
  • Activity (MET) or
  • Activity (W/person or Btu/hr-person)
• Air speed (m/s or ft/min)
• Relative humidity (%)

Outputs are:

• Operative temperature
• Predicted mean vote (PMV)
• % people dissatisfied (PPD)

A curve illustrating the relationship between PMV and PPD is displayed to the right on the dialog.

To use the tool, enter the environmental conditions and press the Update button at the bottom of the dialog. This causes the graph and PPD/PMV outputs to be updated. If the PMV value is within the comfort region (-0.5 to +0.5) then the outputs and the line between the PPD axis and the curve are displayed in green, otherwise they are displayed in red as shown in the example outputs above.

You can read more about Fanger comfort calculations on the EnergyPlus Thermal Comfort page.