Some trends and research needs in energy and comfort prediction

This review paper aims to stimulate debate regarding research needs in the domain of energy and comfort prediction, to arrive at a consensus on priorities. It is suggested that these priorities can be categorised in terms of energy fluxes to facilitate improved predictions of the indoor environment (and the associated demands for applied resources) and the effects of buildings on the outdoor environment; and the impact of the indoor / outdoor environment on instantaneous environmental satisfaction as well as of the set of environmental states on long term perception. Regarding energy fluxes, the paper discusses issues relating to the modelling of climate, building-climate interactions, human-building interactions, energy supply and distribution and automatic controls. Regarding environmental satisfaction, discussion focuses on improved prediction of transient thermal satisfaction (and feedback with the above human interactions as well as other forms of adaptation), handling other environmental domains as well as non-environmental issues.