Thermal Comfort Assessment of the Beijing Historical Town Blocks: Analysis of Indices and Applications

Abstract

Thermal comfort indicates the sensation of humans towards the surrounding environment. This research work proposes a novel method for assessing thermal comfort indices of the Beijing Historical Town Blocks. Motivation. Maintaining a proper thermal comfort is essential for healthy living and promoting the use of low energy strategies; therefore, there is an intense need for research, analysis, and assessment of thermal indices for indoor environments. Objective. The research work intends to present a generalized model for outdoor thermal comfort assessment by investigating thermal comfort evaluation indices of the past ten years through the CiteSpace software and dynamic simulation system. Methodology. Based on a study of 19 streets over 6 blocks in the historical area of Beijing, validity of the four evaluation indices of thermal comfort of the street space is analyzed using real-time data monitoring, questionnaires, regression analysis, and model establishment. Statistical analysis is performed on the basis of the four commonly used thermal comfort evaluation indices along with using universal thermal climate index (UTCI) and the comfort threshold range for evaluation. Findings. Outcomes of the analysis revealed that UTCI thermal neutral value in the historic block was 20.59°C and the comfort range was 16–25°C. It was observed that UTCI indices were inversely related to the street vegetation coverage; therefore, unlike street aspect ratio and building shadow, green planting elements had a significant effect on the thermal comfort of outdoor environment. Implication. As applicability extent of the four indices is fairly broad, the proposed method is adaptable for the assessment of indoor and outdoor environments. Thermal comfort index analysis and evaluation are appropriate for advance research in microclimate environment. Application. The research work suggests improvement strategies of microclimate environment in the historical blocks and, therefore, has significant applications in addressing the challenges of outdoor thermal comfort systems.