Thermal comfort beyond building design - an investigation in naturally ventilated residential apartments in a hot-dry climate

This study deals with effective post-occupancy strategies which occupants in naturally ventilated residential buildings could employ in order to improve thermal comfort. The results are based on validated simulations carried out using the ESP-r software tool. The study focuses on two strategies, viz. - adaptive occupancy patterns and ventilation strategies for thermal comfort improvements during summer and winter. The feasibility of applying these strategies which were part of traditional living practices to a modern residential setup has been analyzed. Design considerations for these adaptive strategies to be functionally effective have been discussed. The analysis indicated that an adaptive occupancy pattern could potentially improve thermal comfort by 10% in summer compared to the base case. Fenestration operation patterns could improve thermal comfort by 13% in summer but have no significant benefit in winter. Night ventilation was found to be effective in improving comfort conditions by 28% in summer. The combined effect of adaptive occupancy pattern and night ventilation in summer could improve thermal comfort by 26%. Daytime ventilation could improve comfort in winter by 40% compared with free-running condition.