According to the Buildings Energy Data Book published by the U.S.
Department of Energy, in 2006 the building sector consumed 38.9% of the
total primary energy used in the United States. Of this energy, 34.8% is
used by buildings for space heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
This energy often involves the combustion of fossil fuels, contributing
to carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. Even if greenhouse gas
concentrations are stabilized in the atmosphere, extreme climate events
and sea level rise will continue for several centuries due to inertia of
the atmosphere. Therefore, adaptation will be a necessary compliment to
carbon dioxide mitigation efforts. This paper argues that both
mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to climate change should
be added to our building codes and standards. Since space heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning utilize a large amount of energy in
buildings, we should begin by redefining our thermal comfort standards
and add strategies that mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and adapt to
predicted climate variability.
This is very interesting. They mention the concept of a mesocomfort zone, between the low temp at which adaptive measures are taken and the 'optimum', allowing for flexibility.
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