Decision support for building thermal comfort monitoring with a sustainable GenAI system

Project details

Full project title: Decision support for building thermal comfort monitoring with a sustainable GenAI system

Duration: 30 September 2024-present 

UWE Bristol project team:

• Dr Muhammad Arslan (Lead)
• Professor Patrick Manu (Co-Lead)

Project summary

Staff expenses can account for up to 70% of business costs, with indoor conditions playing a critical role in employee health, behaviour, and productivity. Optimal thermal comfort, typically around 21°C with 40-70% humidity, maximises productivity. However, effective monitoring requires comprehensive data, particularly as energy regulations push for smarter building management. Although Building Information Modelling (BIM, a digital representation of a building's physical and functional characteristics) and sensor integration support facilities management, many existing systems are proprietary, expensive, and inflexible.

To address these challenges, this project introduces ThermalComfortBot, a sustainable Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)-powered Chatbot designed as an advanced Information System (IS). Built on open-source technology, it is cost-effective and fully customizable, allowing users to tailor datasets to their needs. The Chatbot delivers actionable insights through a Question-Answering (QA) interface, enabling data-driven decisions on thermal comfort to improve workplace conditions and enhance operational efficiency.