Thermal Comfort and Perception inside Air-Conditioned Areas (ST-16-C039)

This study describes and compares the results of multiple field surveys about thermal comfort inside air conditioned buildings in two different countries. The field studies were conducted in classrooms at The University of South Florida, Tampa, USA. Only one field study took place in a shopping mall in Amman, Jordan. All studies were conducted in the summer of 2014. The purpose of this study is to investigate the temperature perception of humans in closed areas based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 55 and to understand whether or not these areas are within the acceptable level of thermal comfort. The study also investigates the influence of culture and climate on temperature perception and thermal comfort. The classroom studies consisted of 14 multiple-choice questions that have been distributed to 100 students so far. The shopping mall study consisted of two multiple-choice questions that were asked to 100 random people. The results of the studies showed significant differences in temperature perception and prediction between genders. The results also showed that participants from the shopping mall reported an average of "neutral" thermal sensation even though the thermal environment in the building was not thermally comfortable according to ASHRAE standard 55.