The concept of environmental comfort is about more than just temperature. It is the sensation of well-being felt in an area where you work, live or rest that corresponds to your needs. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) plays a major role in building design as it has a major impact on the health, safety and productivity of the occupants of the indoor environment.

According to several studies, on average, people spend 80% of their time in a confined environment. The benefit of optimal comfort in every situation is therefore very important for a person’s well-being. Today, the issue of indoor comfort is closely linked to building performance and energy efficiency.

Calling it indoor comfort is somewhat over simplified: there is hygrometric comfort, thermal and acoustic comfort, environmental comfort as well as lighting comfort.

Temperature and humidity are the two most important factors to consider within a confined environment. Nowadays, it is easy to regulate and monitor these, thanks to the availability of increasingly advanced system solutions.

According to UNI EN ISO 7730, thermo-hygrometric well-being is defined as “the mental condition of satisfaction with the thermal environment”. To measure it, four physical parameters are taken into account: air temperature, average radiant temperature, relative humidity and air speed.

The best solutions to ensure optimum thermal-hygrometric comfort are devised according to the function of the space and can be based on the personal requirements of the occupants, thanks to the flexibility of the relative management systems.

Lighting plays a key role in creating a comfortable environment. Light affects factors such as the ability to concentrate and productivity, and also helps to create an inviting atmosphere. In this area, technology has made major advances in facilitating the design process. Today, we talk about Human Centric Lighting, in which people’s needs and comfort are the primary concern.  This means, in addition to the physical and technical parameters required to achieve certain lighting conditions within an environment, other components also come into play, such as the biological rhythms and physical well-being of the occupant of a space.

With regard to technology, the main driver for change has been the need to save energy, which is why LED lamps find their rightful place among the elements for balanced lighting comfort.

Presence or twilight sensors, or sensors that automatically adjust based on the actual ambient brightness, reduce waste while always ensuring the best conditions. Here too, IoT makes a difference, ensuring greater control and flexible management of the system.

Now, thanks to smart home technologies and systems designed to optimise comfort in any environment, various parameters can be adjusted automatically (such as temperature, humidity, lighting, air quality and much more). Home & building automation plays a major role in managing, controlling and improving the level of comfort within a home. Through the integration of smart technologies and connected devices, energy wastage is reduced while comfort and efficiency are maximised.

Smart thermostats are a key element in the field of smart comfort.  These are interconnected electronic devices designed to control and regulate the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system in a home environment while optimising energy consumption. The most advanced ones can automatically verify the atmospheric conditions and presence of people in a room and adjust the systems accordingly to achieve an optimal environment. They can also be controlled very easily through an app.

Another variable that can affect environmental comfort, and therefore well-being, is noise. How can we reduce noise pollution to ensure a pleasant and quiet environment? First of all, legislation comes to our aid, starting with the Framework Law on Noise Pollution (Law 447/1995), which defines the basic principles for protecting living environments. Subsequently, technical standards dedicated to the design of passive acoustic requirements have been issued, such as UNI EN ISO 12354:2017. Acoustic comfort is, in all respects, an aspect that has a huge impact on the perception of well-being.