Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review

thesis Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review published CHe yes Simone Torresin author Larissa Pereira de Souza author Seda Yuksel Dicle author Douaa Al-Assaad author Francesco Aletta author Alvaro Balderrama author 741710000-0002-4118-2838 Mariya P. Bivolarova author Pyoung-Jik Lee author Josep Llorca-Bofí author Henna Maula author Alessandra Luna Navarro author Ilaria Pigliautile author Anna Laura Pisello author Zhibin Wu author DEP1634 department Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS) enable occupants to locally adjust environmental parameters without affecting others. Rooted in the fields of thermal and air quality management, this approach is key for enhancing satisfaction and well-being in the built environment by empowering occupants to control their immediate surroundings. Moreover, it offers energy-saving potential by optimizing conditions in targeted areas rather than across the entire environment. Within the framework of the IEA EBC Annex 87, the concept was explored for the first time in the acoustic domain. After defining Acoustic PECS, a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted to unpack (1) technologies in the literature aligning with this concept; (2) their impact on occupants; and (3) current limitations. The literature search, conducted on Scopus, Web of Science, APA, and PubMed, included field or laboratory studies assessing systems enabling local acoustic control in settings that are relevant for office environments. Review papers, medical device studies, and reports without insights on occupant impact were excluded. Thirty-eight studies were selected, covering active and passive systems, building-attached, furniture-integrated, and wearable devices. The qualitative analysis highlighted potential positive effects in challenging acoustic environments, including reduced annoyance, improved work performance, masking or cancellation of intrusive noises, and enhancements in short-term memory, among other benefits, despite existing technological and methodological limitations. The evidence collected is constrained by the limited number of identified studies and methodological gaps stemming from the relatively wide focus of the studies where such devices were investigated. The definition of Acoustic PECS provides a foundation for future research, guiding the development of these systems and fostering high-quality and consistent evidence of their impacts. Elsevier BV2025 eng PECSPersonalized environmental control systemsAcoustic coustic PECSAcoustic comfortIndoor Environmental QualityHeadphones Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications 0360-1323 1873-684X10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243 282 Torresin S, de Souza LP, Dicle SY, Al-Assaad D, Aletta F, Balderrama A, et al. Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications. 2025;282. S. Torresin et al., “Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review,” Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications, vol. 282, Art. no. 113243, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a>.

Torresin, Simone ; de Souza, Larissa Pereira ; Dicle, Seda Yuksel ; Al-Assaad, Douaa ; Aletta, Francesco ; Balderrama, Alvaro ; Bivolarova, Mariya P. ; Lee, Pyoung-Jik ; u. a.: Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. In: Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications Bd. 282. Amsterdam [u.a.], Elsevier BV (2025)

Torresin, Simone u. a.: Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review, in: Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications 282 (2025). Torresin S et al. (2025) Definition and Performance of Acoustic Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic PECS): A Systematic Review. Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications 282.

Torresin, Simone, Larissa Pereira de Souza, Seda Yuksel Dicle, Douaa Al-Assaad, Francesco Aletta, Alvaro Balderrama, Mariya P. Bivolarova, u. a. 2025. Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications 282. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a>, .

Torresin, Simone, et al. “Definition and Performance of Acoustic Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic PECS): A Systematic Review.” Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications, vol. 282, 113243, 2025, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a>. Torresin, S., de Souza, L. P., Dicle, S. Y., Al-Assaad, D., Aletta, F., Balderrama, A., Bivolarova, M. P., Lee, P.-J., Llorca-Bofí, J., Maula, H., Navarro, A. L., Pigliautile, I., Pisello, A. L., & Wu, Z. (2025). Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications, 282, Article 113243. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a> S. Torresin, L.P. de Souza, S.Y. Dicle, D. Al-Assaad, F. Aletta, A. Balderrama, M.P. Bivolarova, P.-J. Lee, J. Llorca-Bofí, H. Maula, A.L. Navarro, I. Pigliautile, A.L. Pisello, Z. Wu, Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review, Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications. 282 (2025). Torresin, Simone, Larissa Pereira de Souza, Seda Yuksel Dicle, Douaa Al-Assaad, Francesco Aletta, Alvaro Balderrama, Mariya P. Bivolarova, et al. “Definition and Performance of Acoustic Personalised Environmental Control Systems (Acoustic PECS): A Systematic Review.” Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications 282 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a>. S. Torresin, L.P. de Souza, S.Y. Dicle, D. Al-Assaad, F. Aletta, A. Balderrama, M.P. Bivolarova, P.-J. Lee, J. Llorca-Bofí, H. Maula, A.L. Navarro, I. Pigliautile, A.L. Pisello, Z. Wu, Building and Environment : The International Journal of Building Science and Its Applications 282 (2025). Torresin S, de Souza LP, Dicle SY, et al. Definition and performance of acoustic personalised environmental control systems (acoustic PECS): A systematic review. Building and environment : the international journal of building science and its applications. 2025;282. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243">10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113243</a> 140682026-09-30T10:13:09Z2026-10-01T14:35:36Z