5.1.4 Thermal comfort. Achieving thermal comfort is certainly a design priority in any building, and especially in the study buildings which have received their LEED certification based on the fact that they will satisfy ASHRAE Standard 55 by having 80 per cent of occupants satisfied with thermal comfort (CaGBC, 2013). Though it is difficult to precisely determine whether or not this standard has been achieved in the study buildings, the mean scores certainly indicate a higher level of satisfaction both in terms of the seven-point scale and in comparison to the BUS benchmarks (Table III).
Negative comments received about thermal comfort are clustered heavily around dissatisfaction with control of heating or cooling during shoulder seasons. This is to be expected given that the dwellings use a two-pipe fan coil system which can provide only heating or cooling, thus preventing respondents from coping easily with hot days in the early spring and cool days in the early fall.
5.2 Control/usability
When discussing usability and control, it is important to remember that occupants of the study buildings have a high degree of control opportunities in their dwellings (compared to typical dwellings in Toronto residential towers), with operable windows, in-dwelling ventilation and, at least, one thermostat (Table IV).
When looking at the scores for how respondents rated their level of control over their HVAC components, it is clear that they felt the least amount of control over ventilation in their dwellings. This is surprising considering that the dwelling-based systems allow more control than in typical buildings. Despite this, as shown in previous sections, respondents appear to be generally satisfied with air quality and thermal comfort in their dwellings. It should be noted that this effect could be attributed to excessive air infiltration due to poor air-tightness.