An analysis of thermal environment in architectural school classrooms of warm and humid climate in Tiruchirappalli, India

ABSTRACT: Human Thermal Environment is a branch of Ergonomics, concerned with human thermal comfort (i.e. whether a person feels too cold, hot, 'sticky' etc.), especially in their working environment. Thermal discomfort in educational buildings can create unsatisfactory conditions for both teachers and students, which will affect productivity and performance. The classrooms thermal environment requirements are different than residential and office environment, so it demands a separate thermal environment assessment study. This paper aims to investigate the thermal environment in classrooms as well as identifying the best and least performing spaces, concerning both environmental and personal variables by using IMAC (Indian Model for Adaptive thermal Comfort). This study employed subjective assessments through questionnaires, physical measurements, and simulation study to observe thermal comfort for the whole year. Architectural interventions led to the conclusions which, are the addition of insulating materials, designing of shading devices and enhancing night ventilation. The result shows the comfort hours are increasing three times than the present case by incorporating the night ventilation technique. Addition of insulating materials is creating a reverse effect in the indoor thermal comfort environment because of the high thermal mass of surface material.

Evaluation of Retrofitting Strategies to optimize thermal performance of Naturally ventilated classrooms: A simulation-based approach

ABSTRACT: The thermally comfortable environment in classrooms is significant to improve the performance and productivity of students. A substantial number of researches emphasize energy-saving potential, especially for forthcoming projects, whereas existing buildings in the world consume 40% of the energy to meet the desired indoor comfort conditions. Passive retrofitting strategies provide opportunities for reducing energy consumptions to achieve sustainability in the existing buildings. Presently, architects and designers are taking advantage of building simulation tools that can compare and optimize design alternatives before the installation. The objective of this study is to analyse the performance of twenty-two combinations of retrofitting solutions to optimize the thermal performance of existing classrooms in the Architecture Department located in Tiruchirappalli, India, by using a simulation-based approach. The simulation results showed that retrofitting strategy 1 (RS1—expanded polystyrene + shading device option 1 + night ventilation) was performed better among all other strategies to achieve maximum comfort hours (three times more than the actual comfort hours). However, retrofitting strategy 5 (RS5—shading device option 1 + night ventilation) was found as a cost-effective strategy which does not include any insulating materials. Retrofitting strategies such as the insulating materials and the shading devices were significant only with night ventilation. 

The Way Forward to Aging- Developing a Preliminary Questionnaire Survey Instrument to Determine Elderly Peoples' Thermal Sensation in India

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report predicted the growth of older people's population from 17.3 crores by 2025 to 24 crores by 2050. It is essential to create a thermally comfortable indoors for people who spend maximum time indoors, especially the older people. Thermal Sensation perceives energy exchanges between the human body and its surroundings. Although the ASHRAE seven-point scale for thermal Sensation is widely used, there are various ways to ask questions, depending on participants' age, education level, and aim of the survey. Current thermal comfort guidelines in India are mainly aimed at persons aged between 20 to 60 years. Several studies indicated differences between younger and older adults' optimal thermal Sensation. As a result, this study investigated the differences in how younger and older persons interpret thermal sensation scales to select one scaling method that the elderly would understand and recognise. The author has identified two prominent questionnaire scaling methods: Emojis/ expressions and colours from Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to perceive Thermal Sensation votes (TSV). This experiment revealed that the colours scale was more easily recognised and comprehended by elderly participants than the emoji scale compared to younger people.

Investigation of summertime thermal comfort at the residences of elderly people in the warm and humid climate of India

According to WHO (World Health Organization) data, people spend at least 80% of their lives indoors, with the percentage rising to 95% for older people with mobility impairments. Creating a thermally comfortable indoor environment is essential for improving users’ productivity and well-being, particularly for those who spend maximum time indoors, such as elderly people. India’s ageing population is increasing significantly; however, there is lack of studies in the field of thermal comfort for the elderly. The main aim of this paper is to determine the thermal comfort range of elderly people in residences of warm and humid climates during summers in India and to find out the adaptive actions opted by the elderly population to achieve thermal comfort. 740 responses were collected from elderly people through questionnaire surveys along with simultaneous field measurements during the summer. The linear regression analysis found the occupant’s comfort temperature of 30 °C and the comfort range was found to be 28.5 °C- 31.5 °C, which was narrower than the younger people’s thermal comfort studies at residences. The neutral temperature was higher for the male elderlies than the female elderlies, which was highly correlated with their clothing adjustments. The probit analysis revealed that 90% of the elderly felt comfortable when the operative temperature varied between 26.9 °C and 30.9 °C. Clothing adjustments and taking cold showers are the most preferred behavioural actions by the elderlies in summer, whereas changing the cooking time and tying up hair are the most preferred behavioural adaptations to overcome thermal discomfort for female elderlies.