Indoor Climate Data Analysis Based a Monitoring Platform for Thermal Comfort Evaluation and Energy Conservation

A monitoring platform is designed, set up and used to store the measured indoor climate data such a temperature and humidity from an air-conditioned classroom to the purpose of thermal comfort evaluation. In addition, the measured current using smart current sensors at the power cables, which supply the air conditioning and ventilation system, was transmitted to the monitoring platform and calculated by soft code for the energy consumption when the air conditioner is switched on. The detail of energy and indoor climate monitoring system can be found in previous publication as well as the monitoring platform. In this paper, the data stored in the monitoring platform are used for the analysis of temperature and humidity distribution in the air conditioned room as well as the thermal comfort based on the predicted mean vote, PMV, with various occupant clothes simulated criteria. Temperature and humidity sensors are installed at various positions around the room provided 24/7 climate monitoring. In order to illustrate the thermal comfort, the comfort index is indicated by the calculation of the predicted mean vote that ranges from -3 to +3 where the zero meant neutral. The results show that the occupants wore long sleeve shirt with jacket and trouser for male, and short sleeve shirt with jacket and full-length skirt for female would reach the thermal comfort at lower temperature than others. In other words, the waste energy could be reduced simply by setting up higher cold temperature cooperated with switching off the air conditioner sometime before the end of the last class of the day, according to the indoor temperature curve analysis, which could save energy for roughly 18%.