Adaptive comfort and thermal expectations-a subjective evaluation in hot humid climate

Abstract

Subjective and experimental evaluation of thermal comfort characteristics have been carried out in naturally ventilated apartment buildings located in a hot humid climatic region of India. Comfort and acceptability limits of environmental parameters under these conditions have been evaluated on the basis of adaptive comfort theory. The residents are found to accept a wider range of environmental conditions as being comfortable, compared to the limits suggested by traditional thermal comfort standards. Factors like age, thermal expectation, economic status and past experience with thermal comfort play a significant role in determining the comfort perception. A comparative study of the thermal performance of these buildings with respect to Fanger's extended adaptation theory has been carried out. Constraints for adaptation like outdoor noise levels and their influence on the thermal comfort perception have also been examined in this study.