Enhancing Office Comfort with Personal Comfort Systems: A Data-Driven Machine Learning Approach

Personal Comfort Systems (PCS) have emerged as a flexible alternative to address the diversity of environmental perceptions in office environments. Unlike conventional HVAC systems, PCSs allow users to improve their satisfaction and comfort by exercising individualized control over their immediate environment without interfering with others around them. This study evaluated the use of machine learning models generated by H2O AutoML to predict the use of three PCSs in four office buildings with effective occupancy. These were a thermal wristband, a desk fan, and an adjustable lamp. Data collected through environmental sensors, perception surveys, and spatial and personal attributes were used. Synthetic data augmentation and automated variable selection were also used to optimize the models’ performance. The predictive models had a robust performance, with R2 values in the test set of 0.86 for the wristband, 0.84 for the fan, and 0.52 for the lamp. The most influential variables included the BMI, CO2 level, and thermal satisfaction, highlighting the importance of physiological and subjective factors. The results confirm that the models allow anticipating the use of PCS with high precision in most cases, laying the foundations for the future implementation of user-oriented adaptive systems. This preliminary approach contributes to the design of healthier, more personalized, and more energy-efficient work environments.