Seasonal and regional differences in neutral temperatures in Nepalese traditional vernacular houses

Two surveys of the thermal environment and thermal sensations were conducted in the indoor and the semi-open spaces of traditional houses, during both summer and winter, in five districts of Nepal: Banke, Bhaktapur, Dhading, Kaski and Solukhumbu. The surveys were carried out for 40 days, gathering a total of 7116 thermal sensations from 103 subjects. The results show that residents are highly satisfied with the thermal condition of their houses, since they adjust well to the thermal conditions. The residents have higher neutral temperatures in semi-open spaces such as verandas than in indoor spaces. The findings reveal that people in the regions studied adapt well to the natural environment, as a result of which neutral temperatures are different in different climates. They are lowest in the cool climate, medium in the temperate climate and highest in the sub-tropical climate. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.