Center for the Built Environment

Personalized ventilation (PV) is an individually controlled air distribution system aimed at improving the quality of inhaled air and the thermal comfort of each occupant. Numerous studies have shown that PV in comparison with traditional mechanical ventilation systems may improve occupants’ health, inhaled air quality, thermal comfort, and self-estimated productivity. Little is known about its energy performance. In this study, the energy consumption of a personalized ventilation system introduced in an office building located in a hot and humid climate (Singapore) has been investigated by means of simulations with the empirically tested IDA-ICE software. The results reveal that the use of PV may reduce the energy consumption substantially (up to 51%) compared to mixing ventilation when the following control strategies are applied: a) reducing the airflow rate due to the higher ventilation effectiveness of PV; b) increasing the maximum allowed room air temperature due to PV capacity to control the microclimate; c) supplying the outdoor air only when the occupant is at the desk. The strategy to control the supply air temperature does not affect the energy consumption in a hot and humid climate.