Thermal comfort and climatic design in the tropics: an historical critique

The Contingencies of Transnational Air-conditioning Histories

“…(International Energy Agency, 2018: 37) Quantitatively, the demand is represented in the report as the number of cooling degree days (CCDs) that "measure the positive deviation of temperatures from a reference point in a given location over a specified period." (International Energy Agency, 2018: 34) At 18 degrees Celsius (or 65 degrees Fahrenheit), the reference point for CCD is similar to and probably based on the air temperature for thermal comfort zone that was first constructed by researchers closely connected to the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE) and the air-conditioning industry in the 1920s (Chang, 2016b;Marston, 1935). However, how was the thermal comfort zone constructed and is it still a suitable basis for estimating whether cooling through air-conditioning is desired or needed?…”

Coping with extremes, creating comfort: User experiences of ‘low-energy’ homes in Australia

“…In the US more than 87% of homes now have some form of air conditioning [32] and in Australia it is in more than 75% of homes [33]. This uptake has shifted thermal comfort expectations for building occupants and created situations whereby occupants can set thermostats to deliver an arbitrary or idealised 'comfort' rather than an experiential and desired level of comfort, with research suggesting that many buildings are actually over-cooled and therefore not necessarily comfortable or healthy [34].…”

“…In arguing for a perspective that emphasises the role of comfort practices within their social and historical context, we do not seek to diminish the importance of the building itself. As Chang argues, the rise of air-conditioning has resulted in 'the loss of a more climatically and culturally sensitive way of design and comfort provision' [34]. Additionally, it is important to recognise that ability to adapt will vary across populations, with the very young, elderly or unwell typically being less able to do so.…”

Noise-reducing vents for windows in warm, humid, tropical countries

“…Adopting passive cooling in warm-humid tropical countries is challenging. To encourage physiological cooling, air movement is strongly needed (Chang, 2016); however, in this climate, calm days are dominant. Urban heat islands and global warming are gradually increasing urban temperatures above a thermal comfort limit, that is, above 28°C, where air conditioning inevitably provides thermally comfortable indoor environments.…”