Thermal Comfort and Perception Inside Air-Conditioned Areas

This study describes and compares the results of two field surveys about thermal comfort inside air conditioned buildings in two different classrooms. Both field studies were conducted in classrooms at The University of South Florida, Tampa, USA during the summer of 2014 and the fall of 2015. The purpose of this study is to investigate the temperature perception of humans in closed areas based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 55 and to understand whether or not these areas are within the acceptable level of thermal comfort. The study also investigates the influence of gender on temperature perception and thermal comfort. The field studies consisted of 14 multiple-choice questions that were distributed to students in the classrooms. The results of the two studies showed significant differences in temperature perception and prediction between genders. The results also showed that participants reported an average of "neutral" thermal sensation even though the the temperature inside the classrooms was raised significantly.