Edinburgh Napier University

  Thermal comfort is a complicatedsubjectand is thus hard to quantify generally and specificallyandthe existing quantification methods are unlikely to be reliable for naturally ventilated houses. The challenge for designers is to produce a comfortable built environment that is sustainable in terms of minimizing energy consumption.This study uses the UK Climate Change Projections to assess the current thermal comfort models and identify their effectiveness in dealing with conditions predicted for the years 2020, 2050 and 2080.Atypical wall system is tested under conditions predicted for London, UK. This process focuses on reducing energy consumption and improving indoor air quality on the basis of thermal neutrality models. Among the passive options tested, the research found that high-density insulation in addition to shading devices could be effective design solutions to minimize the extreme effects of climate change, although none could completely provide a full year comfort zone, particularly by the 2080s.