Primary Study on Adaptive Thermal Comfort Based on Life Style in China
Abstract
The existing thermal comfort standard are obtained mostly based on steady-state heat balance, in fact, culture, lifestyle, climate, social, psychological and behavioral adaptations have an impact on human thermal comfort (Runming Yao et al, 2009). Numerous studies show that indoor thermal comfort has a direct relationship with outdoor climate change, life style and thermal experiences. The differences of preferences to the indoor environment should be taken with zones, climates and life style. Over the past decade, Europe and the U.S. have developed adaptive thermal comfort standards (EN15251 and ASHRAE55) for natural ventilating buildings in summer, and the comfort operation temperature in winter is rigor and little difference with the air conditioning environment. In rural areas and the lower and middle reaches of Yangtze River, traditional heating methods or local heating by air conditioning are solved the heating problem in residential houses which are free-running building. The research for adaptive comfort operation temperature using the adaptive comfort principles is very limited, so this paper analyzes differences between indoor thermal environment in free-running buildings in typical climate in winter in China and adaptive thermal comfort standards by exploring the relevance of indoor environment and adaptive thermal comfort operation temperature and means of questionnaire and measured data done by the student of DUT during the winter.