The Persuasibility of Globe Thermometer in Predicting Indoor Thermal Comfort Using Non-standard Globe Diameter: Row Houses of Semi-Arid Climates as Case Studies

Abstract

The assessment of accuracy of thermal comfort is critical for designing thermally comfortable and energy-efficient buildings. The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index is widely recognized by national and international specifications to predict thermal comfort. The main purpose of this work is to evaluate PMV inside row houses in semi-arid climates using lower-cost equipment rather than high-cost and difficult-to-access instruments while maintaining acceptable accuracy. This is accomplished by using a smaller black globe thermometer than standard ones. The effects of airspeed as a critical factor on PMV were considered. Therefore, case study methodology has been applied in this study, and two sets of six-row residences with a similar typology oriented to the south and north were chosen and explored in summer. CBE Thermal Comfort Tool as a computer program has been applied to obtain the easiest accessible measurement for investigating thermal comfort inside buildings. The outcome demonstrated that the difference in the size between the black globe thermometer and standard ones becomes considerable when the air velocity inside the building increases above 0.12 m/s. Therefore, the limitations were introduced in the current study for applying the small globe thermometer in the prediction of thermal comfort inside buildings in the study area and some recommendations have been suggested for future studies. The outcomes shared significant facts to increase our understanding regarding the use of low-cost methods in evaluating thermal comfort.