The reliability of Predicted Mean Vote model predictions in an air-conditioned mosque during daily prayer times in Malaysia

A field study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the estimated Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) for comfort and the actual measured climate data and occupant comfort sensations recorded in an air-conditioned mosque building in Malaysia. The study was conducted between November 2012 and April 2013 during the five daily periods of prayer. PMV was calculated using the Fanger equations while the Actual Mean Vote (AMV) was gathered from the survey data of 330 randomly selected worshippers. The results show that the thermal responses from worshippers during the five daily prayer periods largely recorded in the neutral zone. PMV model calculations underestimated the temperatures at which people could be comfortable (25.9°C) in the mosque when compared to the AMV of respondents at 30.4°C. The difference of 4.6 K between PMV and AMV indicates that ASHRAE Standard-55 is considerable and obviously has serious energy implications for this organization if temperatures were to be kept at the PMV-required temperatures. It was concluded that worshippers in this air-conditioned mosque located in the hot and humid climate of Malaysia found the indoor thermal conditions to be thermally acceptable at the temperatures they experienced.

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