A Field Study on Thermal Comfort of Occupants and Acceptable Neutral Temperature at the National Museum in Malaysia

Abstract

A field study was conducted to investigate the thermal environment and occupants’ comfort in the National Museum of Malaysia. The occupants’ thermal perceptions in the museum were measured and characterised. The response of the occupants has indicated that the thermal conditions inside the museum did not satisfactorily fulfil the ASHRAE Standard 55, because only 78% of the occupants were satisfied with their environment. Besides, actual mean vote (AMV) and predicted mean vote (PMV) were compared. The Fanger’s model gave a neutral operative temperature of 22.2°C from the PMV, whereas the questionnaire data used in the mean thermal sensation vote (MTSV) of the present study gave a higher value (22.5°C) for the neutral operative temperature. The preferred operative temperature was found to be 22.3°C. The minimum air temperature in three galleries was below the lower limit of the temperature range of 18–22°C as recommended by Museums Australia Victoria. The mean indoor humidity was too high compared to the optimal range of 55 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). The mean air velocity, ≤0.15 m·s−1, in each gallery was satisfactory. Findings of this study are very useful for designing heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems with energy-saving methodology for museum buildings in tropical regions.