Citation

Fang Z, Feng X, Liu J, Lin Z, Mak CM, Niu J, Tse KT, Xu X. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2019; 44: 676-690.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.scs.2018.10.022

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Comfortable and healthy outdoor microclimates are beneficial to sustainable urban development. Based on a comprehensive comparison of some currently frequently used thermal comfort indices, including PMV, WBGT, PET, SET*, and UTCI, the differences among these indices are significant in dealing with the fundamental energy balance model, descriptive equations, and application boundary conditions. In order to validate these indices, a subjective questionnaire survey with field measurements was carried out on a university campus in Guangzhou in southern China.

RESULTS revealed strong linear relationships between operative temperature and mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), WBGT, PET, SET*, UTCI, as well as PMV. However, the relationships between these thermal comfort indices and the mean thermal sensation vote (MTSV) are not clear for a hot outdoor environment, especially when the operative temperature was above 34 °C. The ranges of the heat stress category and PMV need to be modified for the evaluation of hot outdoor environments.

Language: en

Keywords

Microclimatic parameters; Operative temperature; Outdoor thermal comfort; Thermal comfort indices; Thermal sensation