A Comparative Analysis of Outdoor Thermal Comfort Indicators Applied in China and Other Countries

Zhiyi Tao, Xiangdong Zhu, Guoqiang Xu (), Dezhi Zou and Guo Li
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Zhiyi Tao: Green Building Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Higher Education, School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China
Xiangdong Zhu: Green Building Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Higher Education, School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China
Guoqiang Xu: Green Building Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Higher Education, School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China
Dezhi Zou: Green Building Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Higher Education, School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China
Guo Li: Green Building Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Higher Education, School of Architecture, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-36

Abstract: Outdoor thermal comfort is an important criterion for evaluating the quality of outdoor activity environments and is also a significant indicator for assessing sustainable building design. Over the past century, more than 165 indoor and outdoor thermal comfort indexes have been developed to define human thermal comfort conditions under various circumstances and to quantify indoor and outdoor thermal environmental conditions. However, in the process of outdoor thermal comfort indicators becoming widely used worldwide, it remains a pressing research issue to compare the current state of application in China and other countries, identify the key areas of application for both sides, and outline the trends in outdoor thermal comfort index application. This study analyzed 346 articles on outdoor thermal comfort indicators. Employing bibliometric methods, we outline the general landscape of outdoor thermal comfort index applications in China and other countries. Additionally, we utilize comparative analysis to uncover similarities and differences in the research focus on outdoor thermal comfort. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Compared to China, other countries started outdoor thermal comfort index application research earlier. Their papers have higher average citation counts and engage in close academic collaborations. However, the quantity of published papers is fewer than in China. (2) The top five frequently used indexes in both China and other countries are PET (including mPET), UTCI, PMV, SET* (including OUT_SET*), and THI (including DI). China tends to use PET and UTCI more frequently than other countries. (3) The potential future directions for outdoor thermal comfort index applications in both China and other countries include: “monitoring and controlling regional outdoor thermal comfort at the temporal and spatial scales”, “multi-factors coupling effects on outdoor thermal comfort”, “human health assessment and prediction based on outdoor thermal comfort”, and “utilizing computational algorithms to calculate outdoor thermal comfort”. This study can serve as a reference for researchers and designers in the industry, contributing to the creation of sustainable outdoor environments.

Keywords: bibliometrics; human thermal comfort indicators; outdoor thermal comfort; outdoor thermal perception; outdoor heat stress; outdoor thermal environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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