Research Aim

Creating a thermally comfortable indoor environment is essential for improving building users' productivity and well-being, particularly for those who spend their maximum time indoors, such as older people. The population of older people has expanded steadily since 1950. According to the 2001 Census of India, there were approximately 7.6 crores of senior citizens in India, up from 10.4 crores in 2011. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report identified that the population of older people is predicted to grow to 17.3 crores by 2025 and around 24 crores by 2050. The UNFPA states that "the relatively young India of today will turn into a rapidly ageing society in coming decades". In India, numerous thermal comfort experiments are being conducted, each yielding new and unique results. However, thermal comfort studies focusing on the elderly are limited in India. The current thermal comfort guidelines in India are mainly aimed at persons aged between 20 to 60 years old.

Thus, this research finds a need to focus on thermal comfort guidelines, especially for elderly people, because of their difference in physiological and psychological needs towards the thermal environment.