Indoor Thermal Comfort in Modern Mosque of Tropical Climate

In an effort to reduce the operational cost of their dwellings, occupants may even have to sacrifice their indoor thermal comfort conditions. Following the economic recession in Greece over recent years, homeowners have been forced to adapt their practices by shortening heating hours, lowering the indoor thermostat settings, isolating spaces that are not heated or even turning off their central heating system and using alternative local heating systems. This paper presents the results from over 100 occupant surveys using questionnaires and walk-through energy audits in Hellenic households that documented how occupants operated the heating systems in their dwellings and the resulting indoor thermal comfort conditions and actual energy use. The results indicate that the perceived winter thermal comfort conditions were satisfactory in only half of the dwellings, since the actual operating space heating periods averaged only 5 h (compared with the assumed 18 h in standard conditions), while less than half heated their entire dwellings and only a fifth maintained an indoor setpoint temperature of 20 °C, corresponding to standard comfort conditions. Mainstream energy conservation measures include system maintenance, switching to more efficient systems, reducing heat losses and installing controls. This information is then used to derive empirical adaptation factors for bridging the gap between the calculated and actual energy use, making more realistic estimates of the expected energy savings following building renovations, setting prudent targets for energy efficiency and developing effective plans toward a decarbonized building stock.

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Thermal comfort effects of urban design strategies in high-rise urban environments in a sub-tropical climate

Architectural Science Review ◽

10.1080/00038628.2011.613646 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 285-304 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Feng Yang ◽

Stephen S.Y. Lau ◽

Feng Qian

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Urban Design ◽

Tropical Climate ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Design Strategies ◽

High Rise

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Energy-efficient predictive control of indoor thermal comfort and air quality in a direct expansion air conditioning system

Applied Energy ◽

10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.03.076 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 195 ◽

pp. 439-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Jun Mei ◽

Xiaohua Xia

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Predictive Control ◽

Energy Efficient ◽

Air Conditioning ◽

Direct Expansion ◽

Air Conditioning System ◽

Indoor Thermal Comfort

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Indoor Thermal Comfort Analysis: A Case Study of Modern and Traditional Buildings in Hot-Arid Climatic Region of Ethiopia

Urban Science ◽

10.3390/urbansci5030053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Haven Hailu ◽

Eshetu Gelan ◽

Yared Girma

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Significant Role ◽

Indoor Environment ◽

Thermal Sensation ◽

Climatic Region ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Objective Measurements ◽

Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽

Adaptive Comfort

Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the indoor thermal comforts of modern and traditional buildings and identify the contributing factors that impede or facilitate indoor thermal comfort in Semera city, Ethiopia. This study employed subjective and objective measurements. The subjective measurement is based on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale. An adaptive comfort model was employed according to the ASHRAE standard to evaluate indoor thermal comfort. The results revealed that with regards to thermal sensational votes between −1 and +1, 88% of the respondents are satisfied with the indoor environment in traditional houses, while in modern houses this figure is 22%. Likewise, 83% of occupants in traditional houses expressed a preference for their homes to remain the same or be only slightly cooler or warmer. Traditional houses were, on average, in compliance with the 80% acceptability band of the adaptive comfort standard. The study investigated that traditional building techniques and materials, in combination with consideration of microclimate, were found to play a significant role in regulating the indoor environment.

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