Thermal comfort in classrooms in tropics: An analysis of student preference

To gain a better perspective of occupant preference in naturally conditioned classrooms, a comfort survey was conducted in undergraduate classes during one month each in fall and spring semesters. The studies were conducted in Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. All students participating in the survey were acclimatized to the local weather. Surveys were taken during November 2012 and March 2013. Survey results showed a remarkable level of adaptation among the occupants to the local weather, which is hot and humid. Over all the survey days, votes on the extreme warm end of the thermal sensation scale were rare. Preference for cooler surroundings was found among the students even when they accepted their current thermal environments. We also observed that subjects were consistently okay with high air velocities. The survey yielded some useful data regarding levels of adaptation and the environmental preference of students in tropical classrooms.