Determination of neutral temperature in higher education classrooms in the bioclimatic zones of the state of Mato Grosso, BR

Abstract

Thermal neutrality is a condition where a person does wish their environment to be neither cooler nor warmer, and it is a conditioning factor to achieve thermal comfort. The fact that the state of Mato Grosso presents significant climate variations through its territory highlights the need for specific studies, particularly in higher education institutions, as their occupants spend extended periods of time in classrooms and learning capacity of students is directly related to their comfort conditions. This paper evaluates neutral temperatures in classrooms in four bioclimatic zones of Mato Grosso state. The methodology is based on questionnaires for the verification of personal variables, and the measurement of climatic variables. The field research was conducted during the dry and rain seasons, totalling 64 cycles of measurement and 1151 questionnaires. Through an ordinary least square regression analysis between the operating temperature and the thermal sensation voting, the equations to determine the neutral temperature were adapted for each bioclimatic area for the rain and dry seasons. The average neutral temperature found for the state of Mato Grosso was 26.6 ºC.

Keywords:
Thermal comfort; Adaptive approach; Field research