Thermal environment
In its broadest sense, the term ‘environment’ refers to all of the things around a certain point. The thermal environment refers to the things that can affect heat transfer at that point.
Heat transfer is the process of thermal exchange between different systems. Generally there will be a net heat transfer from a hotter system to a cooler system.
Very broadly, the mechanisms of heat transfer can be described as:
For more information see: Heat transfer.
Aspects of the thermal environment that can affect heat transfer by these mechanisms include:
- Air temperature.
- Radiant temperature (long wave infrared radiation (surface temperatures) and short wave infrared radiation (solar radiation)).
- Air velocity.
- Humidity.
- The presence of surface water.
- The temperature of contacting objects.
There are a number of measures that can be used to approximate the total affect of these aspects at a single point. For more information see: Temperature.
The experience people have of the thermal environment that surrounds them will also be affected by personal factors such as:
This is a personal experience that cannot be accurately measured, but it may be represented approximately by standards such as Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Percentage People Dissatisfied (PPD).
For more information see: Thermal comfort.
Temperatures in the workplace are governed by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which oblige employers to provide a reasonable temperature in the workplace.
For more information see: Maximum and minimum workplace temperatures.
Within the built environment, the thermal environment can be influenced by:
- Passive building design (such as shading, windows, insulation, thermal mass, natural ventilation and so on).
- Active building systems (such as heating, cooling and air conditioning).
- Personal behaviour (such as removing clothing, reducing activity and so on).
For more information see: Passive building design and Building services.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building services.
- Built environment.
- Environment.
- External environment.
- Heat transfer.
- Indoor environmental quality.
- Internal environment.
- Maximum and minimum workplace temperatures.
- Natural environment.
- Passive building design.
- Sustainability.
- Temperature.
- Thermal comfort.
- Thermal indices for the built environment.
- Thermal pleasure in the built environment.
- Wellbeing.
Featured articles and news
Top 50 Women in engineering 2022.
Inventors and innovators at ICE.
Life, death and art at the Stuart court. Book review.
Real estate, place adaptation and innovation.
Review and comment on the revised draft before July 11.
We are indeed now 10 years old, so go on and be bold !
Write about something you know, help us build and grow !
IHBC's 25th anniversary 2022 Aberdeen School.
A blended event and triumphant return.
New Construction Leadership Council Co-Chair selected.
Mark Reynolds succeeds Andy Mitchell as Co-Chair of CLC
Designing Buildings is 10 years old.
Types of work to existing buildings.
From alteration to deconstruction on DB.
Publication available
In the sunshine things get hotter.
Understanding temperature in buildings on DB.
Giving power to the consumer on the road to net-zero.
A call for home energy management to be modernised.
How many different types can you think of ?
50th anniversary of the first Pride parade UK.
Looking back and fourth to what still needs to be done.
Balkrishna Doshi wins Royal Gold Medal 2022.
Pioneering Indian environmental design Architect.
The greenest building is the one already built.
History of Temple Meads rewritten.
UK crying out for female tradespeople says CIOB research.
Currently standing at just 1%.
Find out more with BSRIA.
Changes come into force for F,L,O and S.