Thermal comfort conditions and perception by staff and patients in a Swedish health care center : A measurement and survey field study for summer conditions

Abstract: A challenging aspect of modern global development is to provide desired thermal environment for building occupants with optimum consideration of energy and occupants health and satisfaction, both physically and psychologically. The variation of activity level, health condition, needs, clothing habit and staying time of different categories of occupants in hospitals makes it critical where comfort level should be optimized. Now-a-days, tremendous changing on climate makes even more challenging to maintain optimum level of indoor thermal environment at low energy cost. Thermal comfort can be assessed by the well-established PMV- PPD model, and studies on the correlation with AMV ratings from the occupants can help to understand the exact scenario of the thermal comfort. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the thermal comfort level of healthcare occupants, compare PMV-PPD values with AMV for different categories of occupants, and analyze optimum operative temperature for energy savings. A combination of objective measurements and a field study with a semi-structured interview on comfort perception, following ISO-7726, 7730, 8996, 9920, 10551 and ASHARE- 55 regulations, were conducted, where a total number of 56 occupants, including 35 patients, 5 visitors and 16 medical staffs were participated from a health care center of a hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. The data was collected during the summertime. Based on studied thermal environment, both PMV (-1.59 to 1.01) and AMV range (-2 to 1) considering gender, indicated health care center of studied hospital toward slightly cold, where occupants wanted warmer indoor environment. Patients more than 60 years were most sensitive on thermal comfort and overall patients were more sensitive for warm indoor climate than medical staff due to health condition and age. But male respondents were less sensitive than female. PMV and AMV with optimum operative temperature provides the clear idea about optimum thermal environment for the hospitals occupant. Identifying an optimum thermal environment could be a sustainable solution if and only if energy can be reduced.