Field experiments on thermal comfort requirements for campus dormitories in Taiwan

A long-term field experiment project has been launched to investigate thermal comfort requirements for classrooms, dormitories and outdoor spaces of universities in Taiwan. This study presents the research findings achieved in Phase II of this research project. Data for the experimental survey are gathered from two student dormitories of two universities in Central Taiwan, one of which is naturally ventilated and the other is air-conditioned. Results obtained from logistic regression analysis reveal that, despite different thermal conditions in the two dormitories, all students report similar neutral temperature, preferred temperature and upper limit of thermal acceptability. The operative temperatures of thermal neutrality and thermal preference for student dormitories fell at 25.4 and 24.8 degrees C respectively. The upper limit of thermal acceptability obtained via indirect investigation is almost identical with that suggested in ASHRAE Standard 55. However, direct investigation observed an upper limit of 28.2 degrees C, which is 1.0 degrees C higher than that recommended in ASHRAE. From the cross analysis on student responses in the thermal dissatisfaction and thermal sensation scales, it can be inferred that students in Taiwan prefer a cooler-than-neutral thermal condition in the dormitory. Comparison with research findings achieved in Phase I indicates similar neutral temperature and preferred temperature for classroom and dormitory environments. However, the upper limit of thermal acceptability for classrooms is 1.6-1.1 degrees C higher than that for dormitories.