Adaptive Thermal Comfort in Japanese Houses during the Summer Season: Behavioral Adaptation and the Effect of Humidity

Buildings

Hom B. Rijal²  Michael Humphreys¹  Fergus Nicol¹ 

[1] School of Architecture, Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK; E-Mails:;Department of Restoration Ecology and Built Environment, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Tokyo City University, 3-3-1 Ushikubo-nishi, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama 224-8551, Japan

关键词: dwellings;    summertime;    humidity;    skin moisture;    comfort temperature;    occupant behavior;   

DOI  :  10.3390/buildings5031037

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

In order to clarify effect of humidity on the room temperatures reported to be comfortable, an occupant thermal comfort and behavior survey was conducted for five summers in the living rooms and bedrooms of residences in the Kanto region of Japan. We have collected 13,525 thermal comfort votes from over 239 residents of 120 homes, together with corresponding measurements of room temperature and humidity of the air. The residents were generally well-satisfied with the thermal environment of their houses, with or without the use of air-conditioning, and thus were well-adapted to their thermal conditions. The humidity was found to have very little direct effect on the comfort temperature. However, the comfort temperature was strongly related to the reported skin moisture. Behavioral adaptation such as window opening and fan use increase air movement and improve thermal comfort.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.