Thermal Comfort Studies

By definition, thermal comfort is expressed as a mood or a state of feeling hot or cold. Air temperature, radiant temperature, which expresses the temperature of walls, floors, windows, etc., humidity, air velocity, amount of physical activity, type and amount of clothing worn are the factors affecting thermal comfort.

For sedentary or near-sitting physical activity levels typical of general office work, the recommended temperature range is 20 – 26 ^oC to optimize indoor thermal comfort, assuming people are dressed to suit the demands of the outdoor seasons.

A number of factors are taken into account when determining thermal comfort in the working environment.
1. “Metabolic rate and/or activity level” according to the number of people in the room and the amount of activity they do
2. “Clothing” that varies according to the person's clothing preferences or job requirements
3. Air temperature
4. “radiant temperature”, which refers to the heat transfer between the body and other objects in the area
5. Solar loading
6. The rate of air movement
7. Moisture content of the air