A Pathway to Psychology-Sensitive HVAC Devices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19890482Keywords:
Thermal sensation, Mood state, Wearable device, Profile of Mood States (POMS), HVAC systemsAbstract
In standard building practice, indoor thermal conditions are generally regulated by HVAC systems operating either at fixed set points, commonly determined according to ASHRAE-recommended thermal comfort ranges based on environmental parameters, metabolic rate, activity level, and clothing insulation, or at manually adjusted set points selected by occupants according to immediate thermal needs. This study proposes a novel pathway for the development of a wearable technology that communicates occupant-specific thermal comfort requirements to HVAC systems by incorporating psychological mood state as an additional parameter. The proposed approach consists of four stages: (i) obtaining ethical approval, (ii) training the algorithm, (iii) developing the wearable device, and (iv) testing the integrated system. During algorithm training, participants complete the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire while thermal data from specific facial landmarks are recorded at predefined intervals. POMS was selected to assess mood state, and facial temperature was used due to its sensitivity to emotional and thermal changes. The resulting algorithm is designed to infer mood state from physiological input data. In the testing phase, the trained algorithm, embedded in the wearable device, collects real-time physiological data and communicates with a thermal camera integrated into the HVAC system to predict occupant mood state. The HVAC system then adjusts its operation to address individual thermal sensation needs while monitoring energy consumption. This pathway study presents the methodological framework for a psychology-sensitive HVAC system.
References
F. Alsaleem, M. K. Tesfay, M. Rafaie, K. Sinkar, and D. Besarla, "An IoT Framework for Modeling and Controlling Thermal Comfort in Buildings," Front. Built Environ., vol. 6, p. 87, 2020.
T. Yang, A. Bandyopadhyay, Z. O’Neill, J. Wen, and B. Dong, "From occupants to occupants: A review of the occupant information understanding for building HVAC occupant-centric control," Build Simul., vol. 15, pp. 913-932, 2022.
U. Bac, K. A. M. Alaloosi, and C. Turhan, "A comprehensive evaluation of the most suitable HVAC system for an industrial building by using a hybrid building energy simulation and multi criteria decision making framework," J. Build. Eng., vol. 37, p. 102153, 2021.
ANSI/ASHRAE, "Standard 55-2013: Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy," Atlanta, GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 2013.
H. Wang and L. Liu, "Experimental investigation about effect of emotion state on people’s thermal comfort," Energy Build., vol. 211, p. 109789, 2020.
D. Zhang, H. C. Hou, T. W. Tsang, K. W. Mui, and L. T. Wong, "Predicting students’ thermal sensation votes in university libraries taking into account their mood states," Indoor Built Environ., vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 859-875, 2024.
K. L. Meidenbauer, K. E. Schertz, P. Li, A. Sharma, and T. R. Freeman, "Variable and dynamic associations between hot weather, thermal comfort, and individuals’ emotional states during summertime," BMC Psychol., vol. 12, p. 504, 2024.
F. Gioia, A. Greco, A. L. Callara, and E. P. Scilingo, "Towards a Contactless Stress Classification Using Thermal Imaging," Sensors, vol. 22, p. 976, 2022.
A. Bhattacharyya, S. Chatterjee, S. Sen, A. Sinitca, and D. Kaplun, "A deep learning model for classifying human facial expressions from infrared thermal images," Sci. Rep., vol. 11, p. 20696, 2021.
I. Liu, F. Liu, Q. Zhong, F. Ma, and S. Ni, "Your blush gives you away: detecting hidden mental states with remote photoplethysmography and thermal imaging," PeerJ. Comput. Sci., vol. 10, p. e1912, 2024.
B. R. Singothu and B. Sai Chandana, "Mobilenetv3: a deep learning technique for human face expressions identification," Int. J. Inf. Technol., 2023.
N. Upasani, O. Guerra-Santin, and M. Mohammadi, "Developing building-specific, occupant-centric thermal comfort models: A methodological approach," J. Build. Eng., vol. 95, p. 110281, 2024.
Z. Wang, R. de Dear, M. Luo, B. Lin, and Y. He, "Individual difference in thermal comfort: A literature review," Build. Environ., vol. 138, pp. 181-193, 2018.
L. Yang, S. Zhao, S. Gao, H. Zhang, and E. Arens, "Gender differences in metabolic rates and thermal comfort in sedentary young males and females at various temperatures," Energy Build., vol. 251, p. 111360, 2021.
C. Turhan and C. Carpino, "Integrating Personalized Thermal Comfort Devices for Energy-Efficient and Occupant-Centric Buildings," Buildings, vol. 15, p. 1470, 2025.
T. Parkinson, R. de Dear, and G. Brager, "Nudging the adaptive thermal comfort model," Energy Build., vol. 206, p. 109559, 2020.
J. Kim, Y. Zhou, S. Schiavon, P. Raftery, and G. Brager, "Personal comfort models: Predicting individuals’ thermal preference using occupant heating and cooling behavior and machine learning," Build. Environ., vol. 129, pp. 96-106, 2018.
C. Turhan and M. F. Özbey, "Effect of pre-and post-exam stress levels on thermal sensation of students," Energy Build., vol. 231, p. 110595, 2021.
A. E. Çeter, M. F. Özbey, and C. Turhan, "Gender inequity in thermal sensation based on emotional intensity for participants in a warm mediterranean climate zone," Int. J. Therm. Sci., vol. 185, p. 108089, 2023.
M. F. Özbey, A. E. Çeter, Ş. Örfioğlu, N. Alkan, and C. Turhan, "Sensitivity analysis of the effect of current mood states on the thermal sensation in educational buildings," Indoor Air, vol. 32, p. e13073, 2022.
M. F. Özbey and C. Turhan, "A novel comfort temperature determination model based on psychology of the participants for educational buildings in a temperate climate zone," J. Build. Eng., vol. 76, p. 107415, 2023.
C. Turhan, M. F. Özbey, B. Lotfi, and G. Akkurt, "Integration of psychological parameters into a thermal sensation prediction model for intelligent control of the HVAC systems," Energy Build., vol. 296, p. 113404, 2023.
C. Turhan, S. Simani, and G. G. Akkurt, "Development of a personalized thermal comfort driven controller for HVAC systems," Energy, vol. 237, p. 121568, 2021.
M. F. Özbey and C. Turhan, "Investigating the Relationship Between Thermal Comfort and Human Psychology: A Review," J. Build. Des. Environ., vol. 3, no. 2, p. 35255, 2024.
F. Yerlikaya-Özkurt, M. F. Özbey, and C. Turhan, "Modeling the mood state on thermal sensation with a data mining algorithm and testing the accuracy of mood state correction factor," New Ideas Psychol., vol. 76, p. 101124, 2025.
M. F. Özbey, C. Turhan, N. Alkan, and G. G. Akkurt, "Latent Psychological Pathways in Thermal Comfort Perception: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Uncertainty on Depression and Vigour," Buildings, vol. 15, p. 2538, 2025.
M. F. Özbey and C. Turhan, "Modelling the positive and negative interaction between mood and thermal sensation in the built environment using a combined Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm and Morris method," Build. Serv. Eng. Res. Technol., vol. 0, no. 0, pp. 1-16, 2025.
S. Liu, S. Schiavon, H. P. Das, M. Jin, and C. J. Spanos, "Personal thermal comfort models with wearable sensors," Build. Environ., vol. 162, p. 106281, 2019.
L. Zhuang, J. Huang, F. Li, and K. Zhong, "Psychological adaptation to thermal environments and its effects on thermal sensation," Physiol. Behav., vol. 247, p. 113724, 2022.
M. M. Al Qudah, A. S. A. Mohamed, and S. L. Lutfi, "Affective State Recognition Using Thermal-Based Imaging: A Survey," Comput. Syst. Sci. Eng., vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 47-62, 2021.
C. Turhan, M. F. Özbey, A. E. Çeter, and G. G. Akkurt, "A Novel Data-Driven Model for the effect of mood state on thermal sensation," Buildings, vol. 13, p. 1662, 2023.
M. McNair, M. Lorr, and L. F. Droppleman, Manual for the Profile of Mood States, San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service, 1971.
A. G. Devecioğlu, B. Bilici, and V. Oruç, "The evaluation and improvement for the energy performance of buildings: A case study," Next Energy, vol. 4, p. 100126, 2024.
Turhan, B., & Turhan, C. (2025). Financial and Tax Incentives in Green Buildings: A Comparative View of Türkiye and the World. ZeroBuild Journal, 3(01), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14758301.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 ZeroBuild Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
