How Is Thermal Comfort of the Elderly Simulated, and How Should It be Simulated? Exploring Models of Thermal Comfort and Adaptation Behaviors

Elderly living in urban areas experience a plethora of problems in areas of life such as social, physical, mental and financial, which effectively hinder their adaptation to a changing climate. High temperatures can result in preventing them from aging-in-place, or cause them to use behavioral thermal maladaptations. With more heat waves affecting cities, it is important to explore the effects of extreme temperatures on the individuals.

Understanding mechanisms of thermal comfort and forms of thermal adaptation is crucial to prepare appropriate policies and strategies focused on supporting elderly in combating the effects of extreme temperatures. One of the research methods used for explanation, description or prediction of social effects of heat waves is social simulation. Simulation allows modelling mechanisms behind human perception, sensations or interactions, which are all crucial in understanding how humans behave in light of extreme weather conditions. Although modelling has already been used for simulating thermal perception, previous models experienced limitations such as overly simplifying thermal perception through the use of transverse data, and thus simplifying modelled agents, without fully accounting for people’s individual lifestyle factors.

The goal of this presentation is to present a plan for a novel model for simulating thermal perception and adaptation methods. In order to prepare the model, a literature review is conducted with the goal of reviewing models of human thermal comfort. The review will answer the questions such as: what aspects of human thermal comfort are mostly modelled, especially in the elderly populations? How are agents modelled, and what qualities do they present? How is the data gathered and used in models? What are the gaps and weaknesses of previous models?

This model adds to the current existing body of knowledge by systematically reviewing models of human thermal comfort and presenting a new approach to simulating human thermal comfort.