A study of thermal comfort enhancement using three energy-efficient personalized heating strategies at two low indoor temperatures

There is great potential to apply personalized heating for saving energy and enhancing individual thermal comfort in buildings during cold weather. This study investigated the enhancement of thermal comfort of occupants using personalized heating systems at low indoor temperatures. Three personalized heating systems are chosen for this work, i.e., a radiant heating panel with a heated table pad (denoted as HB1), a heated chair with a heated floor mattress (denoted as HB2), and electrical heating clothing (a heated jacket and trousers, denoted as EHC). The effectiveness of three selected heating systems on overall/local body thermal comfort of female occupants under two indoor temperatures of 15 and 18 °C has been investigated. Total energy consumption of these heating systems has also been examined and compared. Thermal acceptability of EHC was better than HB1 and HB2 at both two temperatures. Overall thermal sensation vote (TSV) in EHC was significantly better than that in HB1. Mean skin temperature remained within the thermal comfort range (32-34 °C). In order to achieve thermal comfort on 70% and 80% of the inhabitants at various body parts, local body TSVs should be within −0.43 to 1.87 and −0.36 to 1.87, respectively. Further, EHC consumed <15 W power, which accounts for only 4.4% and 14.8% of the total power consumed by HB1 and HB2, respectively. Based on the evidenced thermal comfort improvement potential and low power consumption in EHC, it is thus recommended to use EHC for the thermal comfort enhancement of inhabitants under low indoor temperatures.