Field Study on Winter Thermal Comfort of Occupants of Nursing Homes in Shandong Province, China

Abstract

The increasing population aging in China has led to a growing demand for nursing homes. The indoor thermal comfort of nursing homes affects the occupants’ quality of life, building energy consumption, and carbon emissions. This study used thermal comfort questionnaires, environment tests, and physiological parameter tests to conduct a field survey of 954 occupants (including the elderly and the adult staff) in nursing homes in Shandong Province, China, and analyzed the thermal comfort of occupants. Results showed that in Shandong Province, there was a significant difference in thermal sensation between the elderly and adults under the same conditions. The neutral temperatures for the elderly and adults were 21.7 and 20.5 °C, the comfort temperature ranges were 19.4–24.0 °C and 18.6–22.5 °C, and the preferred temperatures were 23.8 and 23.1 °C, respectively. The elderly prefer higher temperatures than adults. Personal clothing insulation was significantly negatively correlated with operative temperature. Occupants’ average skin temperature was significantly positively correlated with operative temperature and mean thermal sensation votes. Based on the simulation results of building energy consumption and carbon emissions, this paper proposes design strategies for nursing homes that balance thermal comfort and energy savings.