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Comfort, productivity, and energy conservation in extreme power-saving conditions: the case of office buildings during the summer after the Great East Japan earthquake.

Number: pap. 498

Author(s) : TSUSHIMA S., TANABE S. I., IWAHASHI Y., et al.

Summary

Owing to the enormous damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the peak-power consumption was reduced by 15% to address the gap between demand and supply capabilities. However, excessive electricity-saving measures force office workers to bear discomfort and can lead to productivity declines. Little is known of workers’ comfort and productivity under special conditions, specifically those that prevail after large disasters. The purpose of this study is to find efficient strategies for electricity-saving that do not affect workers’ productivity to a significant degree. We conducted field surveys to measure environmental variables and energy consumption, and questionnaire surveys to investigate workers’ comfort and productivity in five office buildings in Tokyo during the 2011 summer season (after the earthquake), when mandatory electricity-saving measures were being implemented. Results indicate that office workers were more accepting of decreased illumination than of increased temperature. Moreover, lowering illumination reduced electricity consumption more than turning up the temperature of air conditioning units. Overall, self-estimated productivity was 6.6% lower than during the previous summer. This suggests that we need efficient strategies for electricity-saving under such special conditions.

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Pages: 11 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Comfort, productivity, and energy conservation in extreme power-saving conditions: the case of office buildings during the summer after the Great East Japan earthquake.
  • Record ID : 30009234
  • Languages: English
  • Source: Clima 2013. 11th REHVA World Congress and 8th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings.
  • Publication date: 2013/06/16

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