Impact of the Climate Background of Students on Thermal Perception: Implications for Comfort and Energy Use in University Lecture Theatres

Abstract

The thermal conditions in lecture theatres directly affect the well-being and overall learning experience of the users but also offer a testbed for understanding the degree to which people’s thermal perceptions are affected by their climate background. This study included surveys completed online by users in situ and environmental measurements conducted on four different days in three different lecture theatres at the University of Liverpool. The 340 participants who took part in the study were divided into three groups—from climates warmer or cooler than that of the UK and similar to that of the UK. Based on statistical analysis, it was observed that the climatic backgrounds affected participants’ thermal sensations and preferences. The results showed that the thermal sensation and preferences of people from warmer backgrounds and similar backgrounds were different and statistically significant. Most users from a warmer background preferred the environment to be warmer while most users with a similar background preferred it to be cooler. These findings have energy and comfort implications for how heating and cooling set-point temperatures in lecture theatres should be determined.