In this study the influence of the personalized supply air temperature control strategy on energy consumption and the energy-saving potentials of a personalized ventilation system have been investigated by means of simulations with IDA-ICE software. GenOpt software was used to determine the optimal supply air temperature. The simulated office room was located in a cold climate. The results reveal that the supply air temperature control strategy has a marked influence on energy consumption. The energy consumption with personalized ventilation may increase substantially (in the range: 61-268%) compared to mixing ventilation alone if energy-saving strategies are not applied. The results show that the best supply air temperature control strategy is to provide air constantly at 20 degrees C. The most effective way of saving energy with personalized ventilation is to extend the upper room operative temperature limit (saving up to 60% compared to the reference case). However, this energy-saving strategy can be recommended only in a working environment where the occupants spend most of their time at their workstation. Reducing the airflow rate does not always imply a reduction of energy consumption. Supplying the personalized air only when the occupant is at the desk is not an effective energy-saving strategy. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.