This paper presents a literature review of the Fanger’s predicted mean vote and adaptive thermal comfort models developed in different buildings and climates. An important premise of this paper is the fact that Fanger’s model underestimates the thermal impression in the actual case and thus is no longer valid for use in certain climates. As a consequence, many researchers have developed adaptive models from field studies for different climates and countries. However, there is still no adaptive model that can be applied in designing air-conditioning systems for different buildings in all tropical climate countries. Based on this comprehensive review, an internationally recognized adaptive model is needed to achieve better thermal conditions in a variety of buildings such as hospitals, offices, factories, lecture halls, museums, hotels and libraries in the tropics. Practical application: The new conclusions from the comprehensive review on an adaptive thermal comfort model in buildings in the tropics could be used as an important guide for building service engineers and researchers. Their intentions are to minimize energy usage in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in buildings such as hospitals, offices and lecture halls operating in the tropics while maintaining an acceptable thermal comfort level and thus improving the performance and well-being of the occupants.

This article presents findings of the thermal comfort study in hospitals. A field survey was conducted to investigate the temperature range for thermal comfort in hospitals in the tropics. Thermal acceptability assessment was conducted to examine whether the hospitals in the tropics met the ASHRAE Standard-55 80% acceptability criteria. A total of 114 occupants in four hospitals were involved in the study. The results of the field study revealed that only 44% of the examined locations met the comfort criteria specified in ASHRAE Standard 55. The survey also examined the predicted percentage of dissatisfied in the hospitals. The results showed that 49% of the occupants were satisfied with the thermal environments in the hospitals. The field survey analysis revealed that the neutral temperature for Malaysian hospitals was 26.4 degrees C. The comfort temperature range that satisfied 90% of the occupants in the space was in the range of 25.3-28.2 degrees C. The results from the field study suggested that a higher comfort temperature was required for Malaysians in hospital environments compared with the temperature criteria specified in ASHRAE Standard (2003). In addition, the significant deviation between actual mean vote and predicted mean vote (PMV) strongly implied that PMV could not be applied without errors in hospitals in the tropics. The new findings on thermal comfort temperature range in hospitals in the tropics could be used as an important guide for building services engineers and researchers who are intending to minimize energy usage in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems in hospitals operating in the tropics with acceptable thermal comfort level and to improve the performance and well-being of its workers.

A field study was conducted to investigate the thermal environment and occupants’ comfort in the National Museum of Malaysia. The occupants’ thermal perceptions in the museum were measured and characterised. The response of the occupants has indicated that the thermal conditions inside the museum did not satisfactorily fulfil the ASHRAE Standard 55, because only 78% of the occupants were satisfied with their environment. Besides, actual mean vote (AMV) and predicted mean vote (PMV) were compared. The Fanger’s model gave a neutral operative temperature of 22.2°C from the PMV, whereas the questionnaire data used in the mean thermal sensation vote (MTSV) of the present study gave a higher value (22.5°C) for the neutral operative temperature. The preferred operative temperature was found to be 22.3°C. The minimum air temperature in three galleries was below the lower limit of the temperature range of 18–22°C as recommended by Museums Australia Victoria. The mean indoor humidity was too high compared to the optimal range of 55 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). The mean air velocity, ≤0.15 m·s⁻¹, in each gallery was satisfactory. Findings of this study are very useful for designing heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems with energy-saving methodology for museum buildings in tropical regions.