Research on the Rural Residential Thermal Environment and Thermal Comfort in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Climate Zone

A field study was carried out in the winter of 2006 and the summer of 2007 in some villages of Hunan Province,which represents the typical hot summer and cold winter climate zone of central south China.The number of families surveyed was 85 and 131 subjects were interviewed in the surveys.The results have shown that 71.6% of the subjects are satisfied with the indoor temperature in the summer and 80% are satisfied with the indoor temperature in the winter.75.4% of the occupants of the rural zone are satisfied with the indoor relative humidity in the summer and 80% are satisfied with the indoor relative humidity in the winter.Only 48.1% of the occupants are satisfied with the indoor air velocity in the summer,which shows that natural ventilation design is needed.The mean clothing insulation is 0.31Clo,and the acceptable operative temperature range is 15.65～30.14 ℃ in summer.The mean clothing insulation is 2.15Clo,and the acceptable operative temperature range is 8.41～15.65 ℃ in winter.The acceptable operative temperature range is 8.41～30.14 ℃ in the whole year.