Thermal comfort of naturally ventilated buildings in hot summer/cold winter region, China

A thermal comfort field study has been conducted in five cities in the hot summer/cold winter region in china. The survey was performed in naturally ventilated buildings during the summer season in 2006. A total number of 129 occupants from 65 buildings took part in this study. Thermal comfort variables were measured at the same time when occupants answered a questionnaire concerning their thermal perception of the indoor climate. The neutral operative temperature was found to occur at 28.3 degrees C and the range of accepted temperature was between 25.0 degrees C and 31.6 degrees C. Thermal acceptability assessment reveals that indoor environment couldn't meet the 80% acceptability criteria prescribed by ASHRAE Standard 55. Thermal preference analysis reveals that people had a preference to cooler conditions than neutral. Indoor air velocity had a significant influence over the occupants' comfort sensation and people required a high level of air velocity in order to feel comfortable in summer. The study also investigated the occupant's adaptive control preference in creating a more thermally comfortable indoor environment.