THE EFFECTS OF RADIANT TEMPERATURE AFFECTING THERMAL COMFORT IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Abstract

This dissertation aims to evaluate the importance of radiant temperature and the role it plays in altering the operative temperature of indoor controlled environments which affects thermal comfort as it affects the psychrometric chart. Mean Radiant Temperature, used to calculate the exchange of radiant heat between occupants and their surrounding environment, is considered to be a measurement that is rarely measured and monitored currently, which leads to oversight in terms of determining optimum thermal sensation among occupants. Hence, experiments have been conducted on various buildings to determine how significant radiant surfaces will affect the overall operative temperature via conduction and radiative heat transfers. The experiments were conducted by measuring key data points like MRT, air velocity, and humidity, while assuming other factors like metabolic rate and clothing level.

This has allowed us to come to the conclusion that MRT plays a significant impact on overall operative temperature, due to it being significantly higher than the air temperature at multiple timeframes over various locations. This increases the overall operative temperature thereby causing occupants to start experiencing levels of thermal discomfort. Hence, the effect MRT plays on altering thermal comfort cannot be understated, underpinning the importance of various passive strategies such as sunshades and glazing of the façade to ensure solar radiation is kept to a minimum. As a result, the primary objective is to increase awareness of issues that stem from radiant temperature and take steps to enhance monitoring of this metric.