Evaluation of students' perceptions and thermal comfort in London

Abstract

A thermal comfort field study was conducted in a lecture room involving 44 participants to investigate occupant perception and thermal comfort, as well as compare it with other 37 lecturer theatres. All buildings are located in a temperature climate region of the UK. Additionally, objective measurements including dry-bulb air temperature, relative humidity, and subjective responses concerning thermal sensation, thermal preference, and air velocity were additionally collected. Through Hobo measurement and a questionnaire survey in the site lecture room, we present the association linking thermal comfort and seating location. A similar tendency can be found through the comparison between the AMV values of all lecture theatres and PMV ones, which could be explained by the fact that occupants have a very limited physical adaption to their surroundings in the lecture room. Furthermore, the level of thermal comfort of the occupant sitting in the back (higher seats) is lower than that of the occupant sitting in the front row (lower seats).Through a statistical contrast of the level of thermal comfort among individuals seated at the back and front in all lecture theatres, it was illustrated that the occupants at the back were warmer compared to those at the front, and the decreased level of thermal comfort of occupants could be found in many lecture theatres. Overall, in the relationship between thermal comfort and seat position, thermal comfort has a close association with the front seat, which comprises greater comfort in contrast to the rear seat.