Indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency for the elderly population: a comprehensive review

The convergence of global demographic aging and climate change presents unprecedented challenges for sustainable building design, particularly regarding thermal comfort. Prevailing thermal comfort standards, predominantly derived from studies on young, healthy adults, exhibit limited applicability to the elderly population due to their distinct physiological and psychological characteristics. This study conducts a systematic review of 362 scientific publications to critically evaluate the current state of knowledge on thermal comfort for the elderly. Utilizing bibliometric analysis, the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of this research domain are delineated. The synthesis reveals a predominant reliance on group-averaged data in existing models, which inadequately captures the significant heterogeneity within the elderly demographic. A quantitative analysis of comfort temperatures across diverse climatic zones and building typologies is presented. Furthermore, a critical “comfort-health-energy” trilemma is identified, wherein the physiological demand for warmer environments conflicts with potential health risks associated with elevated temperatures and overarching energy conservation objectives. This review concludes by proposing a conceptual framework to guide future research, advocating a paradigm shift from static, one-size-fits-all standards towards adaptive, personalized thermal environments tailored to the needs of an aging society.