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Open AccessArticle
Measuring Household Thermal Discomfort Time: A Japanese Case Study
by
Reza Nadimi
Reza Nadimi 1,
Amin Nazarahari
Amin Nazarahari 2,3,* and
Koji Tokimatsu
Koji Tokimatsu 3
1
Department of Innovation Science, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 3-3-6, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan
2
Whitireia Community Polytechnic, 21 Kensington Avenue, Petone, Lower Hutt, Wellington 5012, New Zealand
3
Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8457; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198457 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 August 2024
/
Revised: 22 September 2024
/
Accepted: 26 September 2024
/
Published: 28 September 2024
Abstract
This study proposes a metric to measure households’ discomfort related to thermal consumption time (hereafter referred to as t-discomfort). This metric relies on an ideal thermal consumption and calculates the gap between the usage times of thermal devices in vulnerable households compared to the ideal household. The t-discomfort is quantified using thermal data collected from 1298 households in the Tokyo and Oita prefectures in Japan. To create the ideal usage times of thermal devices, households are categorized into three clusters—Vulnerable (Vu), Semi-vulnerable (SVu), and Invulnerable (IVu)—based on their energy poverty ratio, and t-discomfort is subsequently calculated for each group. The IVu households are used as the ideal reference point for measuring thermal device usage in the other two categories. The findings of the study indicate that energy poverty does not necessarily lead to t-discomfort. Interestingly, the consumption time of heating devices among Vu households in both prefectures is longer than that of IVu households, despite the high energy prices. Conversely, SVu households, which do not experience severe energy poverty, tend to sacrifice their comfort by reducing their thermal consumption time. Additionally, the consumption time of cooling devices among Vu households in Oita is longer than that of IVu households, whereas in Tokyo, it is shorter. Two treatment strategies are evaluated to mitigate thermal discomfort in households without compromising resource availability. The first strategy integrates the thermal device consumption time with Japan’s current regulated time-of-use rates plan (daytime and nighttime). The results propose a three-tiered tariff plan (off-peak, mid-peak, and peak) to reduce the energy cost burden for Vu households. The second strategy recommends the installation of 12 rooftop solar panels for households in Tokyo and 11 panels for households in Oita. This strategy aims to maintain thermal comfort via a sustainable natural energy resource while minimizing energy costs.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Nadimi, R.; Nazarahari, A.; Tokimatsu, K.
Measuring Household Thermal Discomfort Time: A Japanese Case Study. Sustainability 2024, 16, 8457.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198457
AMA Style
Nadimi R, Nazarahari A, Tokimatsu K.
Measuring Household Thermal Discomfort Time: A Japanese Case Study. Sustainability. 2024; 16(19):8457.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198457
Chicago/Turabian Style
Nadimi, Reza, Amin Nazarahari, and Koji Tokimatsu.
2024. "Measuring Household Thermal Discomfort Time: A Japanese Case Study" Sustainability 16, no. 19: 8457.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198457
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