Study on the indoor thermal environment and thermal comfort in an air-conditioned mosque during prayer times in the tropical climate of Malaysia

Abstract

Understanding the environmental dynamics of air-conditioned mosques hosting five daily prayers with fluctuating occupancy is essential for informed design decisions. This study investigates a Malaysian mosque's thermal environment and worshippers’ perceptions, including comfort temperatures. Field measurements spanned a week and included various prayer times. A questionnaire-based adaptive thermal comfort was conducted after Friday midday prayer when worshippers fully occupied the mosque’s main hall. The mean indoor air temperature (Ta), relative humidity(RH), and air velocity (Va) for all prayers were recorded at 25.3 °C, 62%, and 0.5 m/s, respectively, aligning with local standards. It was found that the mean operative temperature at the neutral thermal sensation was 26.1 °C. Similarly, the mean operative temperature when respondents preferred no temperature change and comfortable overall comfort was26.1 °C. Therefore, the temperature set point can be raised while maintaining thermal comfort.