Thermal comfort studies for the naturally ventilated built environments in Indian subcontinent: A review

Abstract

The history of research on thermal comfort in built environment is an exhaustive one and there are several established ways to evaluate comfortable thermal conditions for various typology of buildings in different climate types worldwide. A chronological review of the thermal comfort studies is presented, which includes identification of thermal comfort parameters, indices, models and standards. It covers the earliest developments, which led to the climate chamber experiments to establish thermal comfort models in steady-state environment. We find decent proof in literature for thermal comfort research, which paved the way for the adaptive thermal comfort models and standards pertaining to the dynamic built environment. These studies are done using longitudinal and transverse field studies to monitor human sensation and preferences alongside real - time monitoring of thermal comfort parameters. An appraisal of prolific research from Indian subcontinent and the way forward is presented.