Temporal and spatial heterogeneity of indoor and outdoor temperatures and their relationship with thermal sensation from a global perspective

Yuchen Hou; Bin Cao; Yingxin Zhu; Hui Zhang; Liu Yang; Lin Duanmu; Zhiwei Lian; Yufeng Zhang; Yongchao Zhai; Zhaojun Wang; Xiang Zhou; Jingchao Xie

Environment International (Sep 2023)

Temporal and spatial heterogeneity of indoor and outdoor temperatures and their relationship with thermal sensation from a global perspective

Yuchen Hou,
Bin Cao,
Yingxin Zhu,
Hui Zhang,
Liu Yang,
Lin Duanmu,
Zhiwei Lian,
Yufeng Zhang,
Yongchao Zhai,
Zhaojun Wang,
Xiang Zhou,
Jingchao Xie

Affiliations

Yuchen Hou: Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Eco Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education (Tsinghua University), Beijing, China
Bin Cao: Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Eco Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education (Tsinghua University), Beijing, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Yingxin Zhu: Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Quality Evaluation and Control (Tsinghua University), Beijing, China
Hui Zhang: Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Liu Yang: College of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China
Lin Duanmu: School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
Zhiwei Lian: Department of Architecture, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Yufeng Zhang: School of Architecture, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Yongchao Zhai: College of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, China
Zhaojun Wang: School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Xiang Zhou: School of Mechanical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Jingchao Xie: Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 179
p. 108174

Abstract

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People spend most of their time indoors. However, indoor temperature and individual thermal exposure are generally not considered in epidemiological studies of temperature and health. Based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) RP-884 Database, the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II and the Chinese Thermal Comfort Database, this study first explored the relationship between outdoor temperature, indoor temperature and thermal sensation from a global perspective. Moreover, the potential influence of spatiotemporal heterogeneity on health studies was explored. A breakpoint was found at approximately 11.5 °C in the segmented regression of indoor and outdoor temperature, and the slope of the curve was greater when outdoor temperature was above the breakpoint (n = 67,896). Based on multi-group propensity score matching (PSM) and generalized additive models (GAM), spatiotemporal heterogeneity was found in the relationship between indoor and outdoor temperatures after adjusting for building type and year. Furthermore, the relationship between indoor temperature and thermal sensation was influenced by the outdoor temperature. This study highlights the importance of considering indoor temperature or individual thermal exposure in temperature-related health studies.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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