Residential Thermal Environment and Thermal Sensation Model of the Elderly in Hunan Province in Winter

Abstract

This study intends to investigate indoor thermal environment and the thermal comfort status of the elderly people living in urban apartments and rural wooden houses in Hunan, China during the winter. Field measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted among 164 healthy elder people over 65 years old in 99 residences. Results show that average indoor temperature in both areas are below 15 °C and the temperature difference between different rooms is very large in rural wooden houses. The elderly living in urban apartments are more satisfied with the overall indoor thermal environment and have more diversified measures for thermal adaptation than those living in rural wooden houses. The predicted neutral temperatures for the elderly are calculated to be 14.6 °C and 15.5 °C in rural and urban area respectively, which are higher compared with the young. The results of this study can provide a reliable reference for managing the thermal environment of the residents for the elders.