Evaluation of thermal comfort in university classrooms through objective approach and subjective preference analysis.

Assessing thermal comfort becomes more relevant when the aim is to maximise learning and productivity performances, as typically occurs in offices and schools. However, if, in the offices, the Fanger model well represents the thermal occupant response, then on the contrary, in schools, adaptive mechanisms significantly influence the occupants' thermal preference. In this study, an experimental approach was performed in the Polytechnic University of Bari, during the first days of March, in free running conditions. First, the results of questionnaires were compared according to the application of the Fanger model and the adaptive model; second, using a subjective scale, a complete analysis was performed on thermal preference in terms of acceptability, neutrality and preference, with particular focus on the influence of gender. The user possibility to control the indoor plant system produced a significant impact on the thermal sensation and the acceptability of the thermal environment. Gender was also demonstrated to greatly influence the thermal judgement of the thermal environment when an outdoor cold climate occurs.

[1]  Marco Filippi,et al.  Perception of the thermal environment in high school and university classrooms: Subjective preferences and thermal comfort , 2007 .

[2]  Ossama A. Abdou,et al.  Correlation between Indoor Environmental Quality and Productivity in Buildings , 2006 .

[3]  W. Köppen,et al.  Handbuch der Klimatologie , 1910, Nature.

[4]  M V Jokl,et al.  The effect of the environment of human performance. , 1982, Applied ergonomics.

[5]  W. Wray.  A simple procedure for assessing thermal comfort in passive solar heated buildings , 1979 .

[6]  Madhavi Indraganti,et al.  Effect of age, gender, economic group and tenure on thermal comfort: A field study in residential buildings in hot and dry climate with seasonal variations , 2010 .

[7]  P. Fanger,et al.  Extension of the PMV model to non-air-conditioned buildings in warm climates , 2002 .

[8]  Marco Filippi,et al.  Thermal comfort in Italian classrooms under free running conditions during mid seasons: Assessment through objective and subjective approaches , 2009 .

[9]  Cinzia Buratti,et al.  Adaptive analysis of thermal comfort in university classrooms: Correlation between experimental data and mathematical models , 2009 .

[10]  A. S. Dili,et al.  Thermal comfort study of Kerala traditional residential buildings based on questionnaire survey among occupants of traditional and modern buildings , 2010 .

[11]  N. A. Oseland,et al.  Predicted and reported thermal sensation in climate chambers, offices and homes , 1995 .

[12]  R. Becker,et al.  Thermal comfort in residential buildings – Failure to predict by Standard model , 2009 .

[13]  P. O. Fanger,et al.  Thermal comfort: analysis and applications in environmental engineering, , 1972 .

[14]  Takashi Akimoto,et al.  Thermal comfort and productivity - Evaluation of workplace environment in a task conditioned office , 2010 .

[15]  S. Winter,et al.  The Correlation Between PMV and Dissatisfaction on the Basis of the ASHRAE and the McIntyre Scale — Towards an Improved Concept of Dissatisfaction , 2008 .

[16]  Luigi Salmaso,et al.  Measurements of indoor environmental conditions in Italian classrooms and their impact on children’s comfort , 2015 .

[17]  Standard Ashrae.  Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy , 1992 .

[18]  Gail Brager,et al.  Developing an adaptive model of thermal comfort and preference , 1998 .

[19]  R. Yao,et al.  A theoretical adaptive model of thermal comfort – Adaptive Predicted Mean Vote (aPMV) , 2009 .

[20]  J D Ramsey,et al.  Comparison between male and female subjective estimates of thermal effects and sensations. , 1981, Applied ergonomics.

[21]  H. G. Lorsch,et al.  The impact of the indoor environment on occupant productivity - Part 2:Effects of temperature , 1994 .

[22]  Z. Lian,et al.  Investigation of gender difference in thermal comfort for Chinese people , 2008, European Journal of Applied Physiology.

[23]  A. Rosenfeld,et al.  Estimates of Improved Productivity and Health from Better Indoor Environments , 1997 .

[24]  S. Karjalainen.  Gender differences in thermal comfort and use of thermostats in everyday thermal environments , 2007 .

[25]  Jan Hensen,et al.  Adaptive thermal comfort in primary school classrooms:creating and validating PMV based comfort charts , 2011 .

[26]  R. Dear,et al.  Thermal adaptation in the built environment: a literature review , 1998 .

[27]  K. Parsons.  The effects of gender, acclimation state, the opportunity to adjust clothing and physical disability on requirements for thermal comfort , 2002 .

[28]  Min Li,et al.  Can personal control influence human thermal comfort? A field study in residential buildings in China in winter , 2014 .