Indoor Thermal Comfort for Residential Buildings in the Hot-Humid Climate of Nigeria during the dry season

The indoor thermal conditions in residential buildings in two locations in Abuja, Nigeria were investigated to understand the ideal conditions of occupants in this hot-humid climate. Understanding these conditions helps give an insight into what people are experiencing in their houses and how they adapt to the high temperatures. The study seeks to fill the gap in research of occupants’ thermal comfort in this area by providing empirical thermal comfort data from a city in the tropical region. During the study, 86 households responded to a post occupancy questionnaire to evaluate their building and how they adapt to high temperatures. A comfort survey questionnaire was administered to occupants of four low-income residential households to assess their perception of their thermal environment. These included two air-conditioned and two naturally ventilated buildings with the questionnaires having over 80% return rate. Simultaneously, physical measurements were taken in the living room, bedroom and outdoor spaces to evaluate the actual building performance and thermal environment. Most occupants in the residential buildings in this climate experienced thermal discomfort and were uncomfortable with their thermal environment as suggested by the results of the study. The data further suggest the preferred conditions are operative temperatures above 28°C.