An adaptive thermal comfort model for the Tunisian context: a field study results

A thermal comfort field survey has been conducted in five towns from two climatic zones in Tunisia. Two hundred persons were concerned by this survey. They have been asked in their houses and working places at their normal living conditions once each month during 1 year. The selected sample of buildings has been chosen among free running buildings. Only few office buildings were equipped with heating systems but not with air conditioning systems. The survey results have been processed and correlations between sensations and globe temperatures have been found. The comfort temperatures have been calculated for each location and each month. They have been correlated with the mean outdoor air temperature and with the outdoors running mean temperature. Robust correlations have been found. The description of this survey and the methodology of data analysis are described in details in this paper. The main results are discussed and compared with those of similar surveys conducted in different geographic locations. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.