Winter thermal comfort and health in the elderly. (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hughes, Caroline; Natarajan, Sukumar; Liu, Chunde; Chung, Woong June; Herrera, Manuel
• Is Part Of: Energy policy. Volume 134(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Ageing population -- Thermal comfort -- Winter heating -- Temperature standards -- Health; Energy policy -- Periodicals; Politique énergétique -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.110954
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4215

Abstract

Abstract: There is said to be a strong relationship between low winter fuel consumption and increased cold-related morbidities and mortalities in the elderly. However, no study has so far investigated baseline domestic thermal conditions, energy and health in this demographic - a crucial gap given an ageing population. Hence we examine, for the first time, the validity of current thermal comfort standards and World Health Organisation minimum temperature thresholds in the 65 + demographic, through a longitudinal study of thermal conditions in homes of the elderly. We cover two typical winters using repeated monthly surveys and continuous temperature monitoring in living and bed rooms. Results demonstrate that the widely used ISO7730 model significantly underpredicts comfort in this demographic. We use our data to create a new model for the elderly, with a 40% lower error rate. Using calibrated computer models, we demonstrate that our model predicts a 44% reduction in winter heating demand, compared to the current model. Finally, our data provides little evidence for an association between low indoor temperature and healthcare visits for a variety of morbidities. These results question current assumptions around thermal comfort and health in the elderly, with potential implications for health and energy policy. Highlights: First temperature monitoring study of thermal comfort in homes occupied by age 65+. Results show industry standard under-predicts thermal comfort in the elderly. Model proposed which predicts 44% lower winter heating demand than standard model. No clear association between low mean monthly indoor temperatures and healthcare visits.