Exploring the Brazilian Thermal Comfort Database: an overview on the main contributions

Abstract

Significant data from thermal comfort studies conducted in indoor built environment have been included in databases worldwide, e.g. the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II, where Brazil holds a relevant position. The records include a total of 10,925 thermal comfort votes, coming from field studies mainly conducted in offices and schools. Thus, this paper aims to present the database, describing its characteristics and main results from a preliminary analysis. The method was based on the standardization and treatment of raw data from field studies, and some analysis of thermal perception responses and environmental variables were performed. The results highlighted some important variations in thermal perception among people from different climates in Brazilian territory, which is also influenced by the current ventilation system mode. People from Brazilian tropical climates showed a neutral thermal sensation balance close to 27.4 °C of mean operative temperature; meanwhile, those from subtropical climates were close to 24.4 °C. The overall thermal preference tended to cooler than neutral, particularly in naturally ventilated environments. The contributions of this investigation are mainly related to the gaps identified in the database, such as limited climate types and building typologies. Thus, the database expansion would provide valuable information to be analysed and further incorporated in the Brazilian Standard.