Thermal comfort evaluation of naturally ventilated public housing in Singapore

Abstract

Field survey was conducted to evaluate thermal comfort perception of the occupants in naturally ventilated public housing in Singapore. Thermal acceptability assessment was performed to find out whether the naturally ventilated indoor environment meets the ASHRAE Standard-55's 80% acceptability criteria. The study investigated whether thermal perception was influenced by different sessions of the day, building height, and flat types. Comparative analysis of thermal sensation and thermal comfort votes revealed that a high proportion of people experiencing sensations of +2, +3 still found the conditions to be comfortable. The survey also examined the adaptive behavior of the occupants in the usage of climatic control such as windows, fans and air-conditioning to modify the indoor environment. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.