ABSTRACT
The installation of a/c machines in most office buildings in Jakarta is not only increasing building energy consumption but also creating the 'cool discomfort' for the office workers. This is due to inappropriate setting of indoor temperature using the Ashrae setting value (based on Fanger's PMV model). Results from thermal comfort study in some selected multi-storey office buildings in Jakarta show that the neutral temperature (Tn) of the office workers is found to be 26.4°C (wrt air temperature, Ta) or 26.7°C (wrt operative temperature, To) or 25.3°C (wrt equivalent temperature, Teq) while the comfort range (Tcr) is found to be 23.3°C to 29.5°C Ta or 23.5°C to 29 9°C To or 21.7°C to 29.0°C Teq. These values are in fact about 1.2°C higher than those predicted by the PMV model. On average air-conditioned buildings (five samples) consumed five times as much energy as naturally-ventilated buildings (two samples). If building indoor temperatures could be set according to the actual requirements of Indonesian workers, which is higher than the current applied standard, most of the air-conditioned buildings in Jakarta would be able to reduce their energy consumptions while at the same time providing thermally comfortable indoor conditions.
