Study urges end to gender bias in 'thermal comfort' at the office
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Office thermostats are based on a formula devised for men, creating discomfort for women who are too cold and contributing to global warming, according to a new study.
The formula uses the resting metabolic rate of a 40-year-old man who weighs about 154 pounds, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the New Yorker report. The formula, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, varies based on the type of physical activity performed at work and the clothes worn. Other factors include air speed and vapor pressure.
Researchers conducting the study, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, tested 16 women in their 20s wearing light clothes. The average metabolic rate of the women was 20 to 32 percent lower than that used in the formula.
A person’s metabolic rate varies based on factors such as weight, age and fitness level.
Changing office temperatures to represent all workers can result in real energy savings, according to the authors, Boris Kingma and Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt of Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
Their study builds on previous research in Japan that found Japanese women preferred a temperature of about 77 degrees while European and North American men preferred a temperature of about 72.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Freezing at the Office in Summer? Study Supports 76 Degree Temperature for Best Productivity”
