Towards Sustainable Living through Thermoneutral Temperature Management in Subtropical Steppe Climates

Salar Salah Muhy Al-Din (), Hourakhsh Ahmad Nia and Rokhsaneh Rahbarianyazd
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Salar Salah Muhy Al-Din: Faculty of Architecture, Girne American University, N. Cyprus via Mersin-Turkey, 99320 Kyrenia, Cyprus
Hourakhsh Ahmad Nia: Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Alanya University, Alanya 07450, Turkey
Rokhsaneh Rahbarianyazd: Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Alanya University, Alanya 07450, Turkey

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: This study addresses the critical interplay between sustainable living and thermal comfort within residential buildings in subtropical steppe (BSh) climates, particularly in Northern Iraq. With the global imperative to enhance energy efficiency and occupant well-being, this research emphasizes the identification of thermoneutral indoor air temperature ranges that both support sustainable energy use and ensure the occupants’ thermal comfort. By analyzing the acceptable temperature limits across different building orientations during summer and winter, the study utilizes the predicted mean vote–predicted percentage dissatisfied (PMV-PPD) index approach to establish thermal comfort thresholds. The findings reveal that the optimal summer and winter indoor air temperatures are 29.2 °C and 19.4 °C, respectively, with variations across orientations highlighting the significant influence of building directionality on achieving thermoneutral conditions. A wider range of accepted temperatures exists in the eastward orientation in summer (between 26.6 °C and 29.2 °C). The study advances our understanding of sustainable thermal comfort practices, proposing orientation-specific temperature ranges as a cornerstone for reducing energy consumption without compromising occupant comfort in subtropical steppe climates.

Keywords: thermal comfort; thermal predicted vote; thermoneutral temperature; inner air temperature; subtropical steppe climate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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