With reference to FIG. 7, in certain embodiments, the occupant profile 700 provides a user abstraction of one or more variables such as metabolic rate 745, body weight 705, body mass-index 750, gender 715, job movement level 755, ethnicity, normal location 710, current location, clothing insulation value 720, allergen level preferred 725, noise level preferred 730, lighting level preferred 740, current occupant movement 735, metabolic rate 745, BMI 750, job movement level 755. age 760, and so on. The noise level 730 may be associated with noise that HVAC or other equipment makes, as well as external factors, normal location (such as a user's office, or the room a muscle instrument is stored in). An electronic sensing device may be used that may comprise at least one sensor that measures occupant movement, motion, and/or other activity. The sensor or sensors of the above mentioned electronic device, wherein the said movement, motion, and/or other activity is gathered, provide sensor data that may be used to calculate, for example, the metabolic rate, which can be further used in an occupant comfort measure. In addition to the occupant state, current environmental variables such as temperature, wind speed, humidity, noise level, air flow noise level, entertainment noise level, lighting level, allergen level, etc., which together comprise the environmental variables, can be provided to the comfort model.