Research on Seasonal Thermal Neutral Temperature in West Lake Scenic Area of Hangzhou, China

Abstract

The thermal neutral temperature is the foundation for the evaluation of the outdoor thermal environment sensation. This study is designed to investigate the thermal neutral temperature of the outdoor space of Hangzhou West Lake. Both the median method and the thermal sensation vote (TSV) = 0 methods are adopted to discuss the seasonal thermal neutral temperature, thermal neutral temperature range, and thermal acceptable temperature range of the youth group with college students in Hangzhou as representatives. Via the analysis of the relationship between TSV and thermal evaluation index PET, the median method, which proved more suitable for the study site, is selected to obtain the thermal evaluation results. It’s found from the study that, throughout the year, the thermal neutral temperature of Hangzhou West Lake scenic area is 21.0 °C; the thermal neutral temperature range is 12.0–23.9 °C, and the acceptable thermal temperature is 13.0–25.7 °C. The youth group visiting Hangzhou West Lake has the highest acceptance of the thermal environment in spring and autumn and the lowest in winter. Furthermore, the empirical models show that air temperature and average wind speed are the key factors impacting the thermal evaluation of the youth group. This study can serve as a reference for thermal evaluation in similar climate regions.