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review article

Personalized Environmental Control Systems (PECS): Systematic review of benefits for thermal comfort, air quality, health, and human performance

Khovalyg, Dolaana  
•
Bivolarova, Mariya P.
•
Shinoda, Jun
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December 1, 2025
Building and Environment

Advances in environmental technologies have improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ) by creating steady, uniform conditions. However, these often fail to meet individual thermal comfort and air quality needs, prompting a shift toward adaptive, personalized solutions. Personalized Environmental Control Systems (PECS) aim to enhance comfort, air quality, health, and productivity through user-centered designs. This paper systematically reviews 324 journal articles on PECS from 1988-2023, focusing on thermal and indoor air quality (IAQ) domains. PECS are classified by mobility: building-attached, semi-attached, detached, and wearable. The review assesses their impact on thermal comfort, IAQ, health outcomes (e.g., Sick Building Syndrome, heat stress), and human performance (e.g., cognitive function, productivity). Results show that building-detached PECS often improve thermal sensation, comfort, and acceptability, with combined systems yielding better ratings. Personalized ventilation enhances IAQ by delivering clean air directly to the breathing zone, reducing contaminant exposure. Research on PECS effects on health is limited, mainly focusing on short-term, controlled studies. Evidence for benefits on human performance is sparse but promising. Key challenges include inconsistent performance metrics, limited real-world evaluations, and potential publication bias toward positive results. This review highlights the need for standardized evaluation methods, deeper understanding of combined PECS effects, real-world and long-term testing, and clearer quantification of human performance benefits to advance the field.

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Type
review article
DOI
10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113541
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105016313428

Author(s)
Khovalyg, Dolaana  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Bivolarova, Mariya P.

Technical University of Denmark

Shinoda, Jun

Technical University of Denmark

Al-Assaad, Douaa

KU Leuven

Vellei, Marika

I2M - Institut de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie de Bordeaux

Bandurski, Karol

Politechnika Poznanska

Chinazzo, Giorgia

Northwestern University

Kazanci, Ongun B.

Technical University of Denmark

Kim, Joyce

University of Waterloo

Kramer, Tobias

University of California, Berkeley

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Date Issued

2025-12-01

Published in
Building and Environment
Volume

286

Article Number

113541

Subjects

Air Quality

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Health and Productivity

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Human

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PECS

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Personalized Environment

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Thermal Comfort

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
ICE  
ETHOS  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

Siddhi Vashi

International Energy Agency

Available on Infoscience
September 29, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/254393
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