AT-90-06-2 -- A Practical Approach to Thermal Comfort Surveys in Homes and Offices PDF

A discussion of some of the techniques involved in thermal comfort studies conducted in the field is presented. Selected aspects of measurement protocol are discussed in the context of the author's own studies. Thermal comfort surveys in homes usually require a more specific approach to secure cooperation of the subjects than do office surveys. Sociopsychological scales, such as the SELF Scale, could be broadened from the original application with the elderly and be used to assess emotional and social dimensions among the general population. This could help to investigate the relationship between thermal comfort and other factors. Field surveys require more practical methods of assessing the subjects' activity levels. When comparing surveys from different climatic or socioeconomic regions, it is important to consider the influence of local conditions and norms of behaviour on the perceptions of the survey group. Extensive discussion of methodology of thermal comfort surveys is needed to allow for better comparison between various studies.

KEYWORDS: thermal comfort, surveys, offices, housing, domestic, commercial, measuring, sociology, behaviour, psychology.