Policy Solution
Thermal comfort policies
Mandate
Overview:
Summary: Maximum allowable indoor temperatures for buildings can increase awareness and encourage property managers to adjust cooling standards to avoid excessive cooling, reduce energy loads, and as a result reduce the associated waste heat.
Implementation: Establish maximum allowable indoor temperatures for buildings.
Considerations for Use: This policy could build on or add to existing minimum indoor temperature, energy, or other efficiency standards for interior conditions.
- Policy Levers:
MandateMandates are government regulations that require stakeholders to meet standards through building codes, ordinances, zoning policies, or other regulatory tools. - Trigger Points:
Introducing new or updated zoning/codesIncludes codes, zoning requirements or by-laws pertaining to urban planning and building construction activity.No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits. - Intervention Type:
Planning/Policy - Sectors:
Buildings
- Target Beneficiaries:
Property owners, Residents - Phase of Impact:
Risk reduction and mitigation - Metrics:
Energy savings
Impact:
- Czech Republic Maximum Summer Indoor Temperature Limits (UDF, Pg 27)
- Cincinnati, OH Thermal Comfort Policies (ULI, Pg 54)
- One NYC Maximum Allowable Indoor Temperature (ULI, Pg 48)
Case Studies:
Implementation:
- Intervention Scale:
City - Authority and Governance:
City government - Implementation Timeline:
Short-term (1-2 Years) - Implementation Stakeholders:
City government - Funding Sources:
private investment - Capacity to Act:
High, Medium
- Cost-Benefit:
Low - Public Good:
Low - GHG Reduction:
N/A - Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
N/A - Co-benefits (Social):
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