TITLE:
Dwellers’ Habit of Opening Windows in Detached Houses in Cold and Hot-Humid Climate of Japan
AUTHORS:
Motoya Hayashi, Yoshinori Honma, Masanori Sugawara
KEYWORDS:
Energy Saving, Indoor Air Quality, Window, Dweller’s Behavior, Long Term Field Measurement
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.5 No.8,
June
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: The
design of openings is important for sustainable living in the cooling climate.
Dweller’s habit of opening windows was investigated in nine Japanese detached
houses using a window monitor originated by the author. The monitor measures
the open width of sliding window and record daily and annual changes. The
performance of a house and the living style of its dweller were investigated
using questions to the dwellers. The investigation gave the following results.
Windows were closed not only at night but also in the day time even in mild
seasons in most houses. The average open widths were very small in mild and hot
seasons in most houses. The daily and annual changes of open widths are very
various. The open widths of windows are influenced by many factors; the type of
a room, the number of a floor, the living schedule of dwellers, thermal
performances of a house and the equipment for heating or cooling and the
weather conditions. Therefore these factors have to be reconsidered to design
effective windows.