Progress and Future Prospects of Habitat Thermal Comfort Research

Abstract

This paper is a comprehensive study in the topic of human environment and thermal comfort. Firstly, it introduces the concept of thermal comfort and its key role in human environments, and describes the influence of different factors on thermal comfort; secondly, it discusses the commonly used methods of thermal comfort assessment and the assessment indexes in different hot and humid environments; furthermore, it discusses the technologies and strategies to improve thermal comfort, such as the design of ventilation and air-conditioning systems as well as the green building materials, and so on. This paper intends to give a complete literature review for the study of human environment and thermal comfort, and to provide references and recommendations for future research and practice in related domains.