Evaluation Method for Thermal Environment in Residential Houses Using Score on Warmth

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to verify whether the score on warmth corresponds to the actual rating of subjects with regard to thermal comfort and satisfaction. Experiments were carried out in an experimental house in a climate chamber under five different thermal conditions, in which different combinations of air and floor temperatures were controlled by floor heating or air-conditioning systems. Twenty-four subjects rated their thermal sens2ation and satisfaction in each condition, and evaluated the thermal environment on a 100-point scale. The results of this experiment are as follows. It was suggested that score on warmth based on operative temperature and floor temperature more appropriately evaluates the living environment in Japan than the Predicted Mean Vote model, which assumes uniformity of the thermal environment. The score on warmth is considered a useful thermal environment index, which evaluates the comfort and satisfaction of residential houses in Japan. The score on warmth was 2.8 points when the percentage of comfort rating was more than 80%, and was 3.0 points when the percentage was more than 90%. In conclusion, these results show that it is possible to predict the risk of catching a cold in winter using the score on warmth.