Assessment and improvement of thermal comfort conditions in educational buildings: an example of a secondary school

Öz

This study, conducted at a secondary school in the cold winter-hot summer climate type of Bingöl, Turkey, measured temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity, while collecting satisfaction surveys. The findings indicate that while winter indoor temperatures generally remain within comfort ranges, some classrooms have indoor radiation temperatures below 17℃. In summer, indoor temperatures often exceed the 26℃ comfort threshold, reaching 30-35℃ in August. Air velocity assessments reveal that speeds above 0.4 m/s in summer provide relief from high temperatures, while speeds below 0.2 m/s in winter are adequate. Children show greater sensitivity to high temperatures than adults, adapting by adjusting windows or clothing. The PMV/PPD model inaccurately predicts students' thermal sensations, showing higher dissatisfaction rates in summer (40.4%) compared to winter (6.8%). The study emphasizes the importance of both natural and mechanical ventilation, advocating for natural ventilation due to its energy efficiency and health benefits. These findings highlight the need for integrating passive design features in school buildings to ensure year-round thermal comfort while minimizing energy use. Optimizing thermal conditions in educational settings can significantly enhance health, comfort, and learning outcomes, making a strong case for sustainable design practices in schools.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Indoor comfort conditions
• thermal comfort
• school buildings
• student satisfaction
• field survey
• PMV/PPD

Kaynakça

1. Corgnati S P, Filippi M. and Viazzo S. Perception of the thermal environment in high school and university classrooms. Subjective preferences and thermal comfort. Building and Environment. 2007; 42: 951-959.
2. Şensoy S and Sağsöz A. Öğrenci Başarısının Sınıfların Fiziksel Koşulları İle İlişkisi. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Kırşehir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2015; 16: 87-104.
3. Earthman G I. School facility conditions and student academic achievement. 2002.
4. Ali H H, Almomani H M and Hindeih M. Evaluating indoor environmental quality of public-school buildings in Jordan. Indoor and Built Environment. 2009; 18: 66-76.
5. Suleman Q and Hussain I. Effects of classroom physical environment on the academic achievement scores of secondary school students in kohat division, Pakistan. International Journal of Learning & Development 4: 71-82. (2014).
6. Almeida RM, Ramos N M and De Freitas V P. Thermal comfort models and pupils’ perception in free-running school buildings of a mild climate country. Energy and Buildings. 2016; 111: 64-75.
7. Aparicio-Ruiz P, Barbadilla-Martin E, Guadix J. A field study on adaptive thermal comfort in Spanish primary classrooms during summer season. Building and Environment. 2021; 203: 108089.
8. Zomorodian Z S, Tahsildoost M and Hafezi M. Thermal comfort in educational buildings: A review article. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2016; 59: 895-906.

9. Hassanain M A and Iftikhar A. Framework model for post-occupancy evaluation of school facilities. Structural Survey. 2015; 33: 322-336.
10. Saraiva T S, De Almeida M, Bragança L. Environmental comfort indicators for school buildings in sustainability assessment tools. Sustainability. 2018; 10: 1849.
11. Bernardi N and Kowaltowski D C. Environmental comfort in school buildings: A case study of awareness and participation of users. Environment and behavior. 2006; 38: 155-172.
12. Kowaltowski D C, Muianga E A D, Granja A D. A critical analysis of research of a mass-housing programme. Building Research & Information. 2019; 47: 716-733.
13. Jindal A. Thermal comfort study in naturally ventilated school classrooms in composite climate of India. Building and Environment. 2018; 142: 34-46.
14. Torriani G, Lamberti G, Salvadori G, et al. Thermal comfort and adaptive capacities: Differences among students at various school stages. Building and Environment. 2023; 237: 110340.
15. Rodríguez C M, Coronado M C and Medina J M. Thermal comfort in educational buildings: The Classroom-Comfort-Data method applied to schools in Bogotá, Colombia. Building and Environment. 2021; 194: 107682.
16. Kwong Q J, Adam N M and Sahari B. Thermal comfort assessment and potential for energy efficiency enhancement in modern tropical buildings: A review. Energy and Buildings. 2014; 68: 547-557.
17. De Dear R and Schiller Brager G. The adaptive model of thermal comfort and energy conservation in the built environment. International journal of biometeorology. 2001; 45: 100-108.
18. Havenith G. Metabolic rate and clothing insulation data of children and adolescents during various school activities. Ergonomics. 2007; 50 (10): 1689-1701.
19. Teli D, Jentsch M F and James P A. The role of a building's thermal properties on pupils' thermal comfort in junior school classrooms as determined in field studies. Building and Environment. 2014; 82: 640-654.
20. Nam I, Yang J, Lee D, Park E and Sohn J R. A study on the thermal comfort and clothing insulation characteristics of preschool children in Korea. Building and Environment. 2015; 92: 724-733.
21. Yun H, Nam I, Kim J, Yang J, Lee K and Sohn J. A field study of thermal comfort for kindergarten children in Korea: An assessment of existing models and preferences of children. Building and Environment. 2014; 75: 182-189.
22. Ter Mors S, Hensen J L, Loomans M G. Adaptive thermal comfort in primary school classrooms: Creating and validating PMV-based comfort charts. Building and Environment. 2011; 46: 2454-2461.
23. Yang B, Olofsson T, Wang F. Thermal comfort in primary school classrooms: A case study under subarctic climate area of Sweden. Building and Environment. 2018; 135: 237-245.
24. Havenith G, Holmér I. and Parsons K. Personal factors in thermal comfort assessment: clothing properties and metabolic heat production. Energy and Buildings. 2002; 34: 581-591.
25. Fanger P O. Thermal comfort. Analysis and applications in environmental engineering. Thermal comfort. Analysis and applications in environmental engineering. 1970.
26. Özdamar M and Umaroğulları F. Bir Ofis Yapısı Örneğinde Isıl Konfor ve İç Hava Kalitesinin İncelenmesi. Megaron. 2017; 12.
27. Guevara G, Soriano G and Mino-Rodriguez I. Thermal comfort in university classrooms: An experimental study in the tropics. Building and Environment. 2021; 187, 107430.
28. Khovalyg D, Kazanci O B, Halvorsen H, Gundlach I, Bahnfleth W P, Toftum J, and Olesen B W. Critical review of standards for indoor thermal environment and air quality. Energy and Buildings. 2020; 213, 109819.
29. Teli D, Jentsch M F and James, P A. Naturally ventilated classrooms: An assessment of existing comfort models for predicting the thermal sensation and preference of primary school children. Energy and Buildings. 2012; 53: 166-182.
30. AAlfano F R D A, Ianniello E and Palella B I. PMV–PPD and acceptability in naturally ventilated schools. Building and Environment. 2013; 67: 129-137.
31. Kwok A G and Chun C. Thermal comfort in Japanese schools. Solar energy. 2003; 74: 245-252.
32. Zhang G, Zheng C and Yang W. Thermal comfort investigation of naturally ventilated classrooms in a subtropical region. Indoor and Built Environment. 2007; 16: 148-158.
33. Hwang R L, Lin T P, Chen C P. Investigating the adaptive model of thermal comfort for naturally ventilated school buildings in Taiwan. International journal of biometeorology. 2009; 53: 189-200.
34. Hussein I and M. Hazrin A Rahman. Field study on thermal comfort in Malaysia. European Journal of Scientific Research. 2009); 37(1): 134-152.
35. Sanders M D. Assessment of Indoor Aır Qualıty in Texas Elementary Schools. The University of Texas at Austin. PhD Thesis. 2008. The University of Texas at Austin.
36. Yıldırım S T. Eğitim Yapılarında Isı ve Ses Konforu Sorunlarını Değerlendirilmesi. İzolasyon Dünyası Dergisi. 2008; 72: 70-74.
37. Kocahakimoğlu C, Turan D, Özeren F, Sofuoğlu A and Sofuoğlu S C. İlköğretim Okullarında Bina İçi Hava Ozon Derişimleri. IX. Ulusal Tesisat Mühendisleri Kongresi ve Sergisi. TESKON, İzmir. 2009; 697-703.
38. Humphreys M A, Nicol J F and Raja I A. Field studies of indoor thermal comfort and the progress of the adaptive approach. Advances in building energy research. 2007; 1: 55-88.
39. Heracleous C and Michael A. Thermal comfort models and perception of users in free-running school buildings of East-Mediterranean region. Energy and Buildings. 2020; 215: 109912.
40. Çulun P, Kürüm Varolgüneş F, Özer G and Kılınç C. Thermal Comfort Comparison of Different Dwelling Typologies. İDEALKENT. 2022; 13 (38): 2677-2701.
41. Choi J-H. ve Yeom D. (2019) Development of the data-driven thermal satisfaction prediction model as a function of human physiological responses in a built environment. Building and Environment 150: 206-218.
42. ASHRAE-Handbook. Physiological Principles. Comfort and Health. 1989.
43. Chen X, Yang H and Sun K. A holistic passive design approach to optimize indoor environmental quality of a typical residential building in Hong Kong. Energy. 2016; 113: 267-281.
44. Yilmaz Z. Akilli binalar ve yenilenebilir enerji. Tesisat Muhendisligi Dergisi. 2006; (91): 7-15.
45. Wang Z. A field study of the thermal comfort in residential buildings in Harbin. Building and Environment. 2006; 41: 1034-1039.
46. Djongyang N and Tchinda R. An investigation into thermal comfort and residential thermal environment in an intertropical sub-Saharan Africa region: Field study report during the Harmattan season in Cameroon. Energy Conversion and Management. 2010; 51: 1391-1397.
47. Nagano K and Mochida T. Experiments on thermal environmental design of ceiling radiant cooling for supine human subjects. Building and Environment. 2004; 39: 267-275.
48. Peeters L, De Dear R and Hensen J. Thermal comfort in residential buildings: Comfort values and scales for building energy simulation. Applied Energy. 2009; 86: 772-780.
49. ASHRAE Standard 55. Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. (2017). https://www.cibse.org/knowledge-research/knowledge-portal/ashraestandard-55-thermal-environmental-conditions-for-human-occupancy.
50. De Oliveira C C, Rupp R F and Ghisi E. Influence of Air Movement and Air Humidity on Thermal Comfort in Office Buildings in Florianópolis, Brazil. 35th PLEA Conference-Sustainable Architecture and urban Design: Planning Post Carbon Cities. 2020.
51. Yamankaradeniz R, Horuz İ, Coşkun S, Kaynaklı Ö, Yamankaradeniz N. iklimlendirme esasları ve uygulamaları. 2015; 3. Baskı, Bursa.
52. Shaman J, Pitzer Virginia E, Viboud Cecile, Grenfell B T, Lipsitch M. Absolute humidity and the seasonal onset of ınfluenza in the continental United States. 2010; 8 (2): e1000316
53. Halıcı F. kalorifer ve havalandırma tesisatı ısı yalıtımı ve örnek proje. Birsen yayınevi. 2019. İstanbul.
54. Corgnati S P, Ansaldi R and Filippi M. Thermal comfort in Italian classrooms under free running conditions during mid seasons: Assessment through objective and subjective approaches. Building and Environment. 2009; 44: 785-792.
55. Amorim PRdS. Energy expenditure and physical activity patterns in children: applicability of simultaneous methods. Queensland University of Technology. 2007.
56. Ahlawat A, Wiedensohler A and Mishra S K. An Overview on the Role of Relative Humidity in Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Indoor Environments. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 2020; 20: 1856–1861. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.06.0302
57. Toftum J et. al. Association between classroom ventilation mode and learning outcome in Danish schools/ Building and Environment. 2015; 92. 494e503.
58. Lee, Y. H., & Zakaria, M. A. (2024). The Investigation of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Thermal Comfort for a Classroom. Recent Trends in Civil Engineering and Built Environment, 5(1), 262-271.
59. Mustapha, T. D., Hassan, A. S., Nasir, M. H. A., Khozaei, F., & Arab, Y. (2024). From perception to prediction: A comparative study of thermal comfort assessment techniques in school facilities. Energy and Buildings, 313, 114233.3.