Assessing thermal comfort and indoor air quality in naturally ventilated industrial buildings: Implications for worker satisfaction and building design in the warm humid climate of India
Sunitha MATHEW, Bandana JHA
Abstract. Industries play a vital role in national economic growth, yet the quality of their indoor environments is often neglected, adversely affecting worker health, comfort, and productivity. Industrial buildings in India are commonly designed with minimal attention to sustainability, prioritizing low construction costs over occupant well-being. A review of literature highlights a global research gap in thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) within industrial settings, with limited studies in tropical climates and low-income countries. This study evaluates thermal comfort and IAQ in naturally ventilated industrial buildings in Kerala’s warm-humid climate. A pilot study was conducted in three units of an industrial estate, combining quantitative measurements of thermal parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, air velocity) and pollutants (CO, CO₂, formaldehyde, TVOC, PM₂.₅, PM₁₀) with qualitative occupant surveys using the BUS methodology. Over 2,500 samples were collected across three days in December, alongside responses from 62 occupants. Results showed significant deviations from national and international standards. PMV and PPD analysis, and adaptive thermal comfort analysis revealed non-compliance with ASHRAE 55, with many workers reporting “too warm” conditions and dissatisfaction rates up to 90%. The study also examined building envelope performance, wall-window ratio, ventilation, and orientation, linking poor design with degraded indoor environments. Findings underscore the urgent need for architectural interventions, context-specific guidelines, and a national database on factory thermal environments to guide future industrial design that enhances worker health and productivity.
Keywords
Naturally Ventilated Industry, Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, Occupant Satisfaction, Adaptive Thermal Comfort Model
Published online 6/20/2026, 9 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Sunitha MATHEW, Bandana JHA, Assessing thermal comfort and indoor air quality in naturally ventilated industrial buildings: Implications for worker satisfaction and building design in the warm humid climate of India, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 737-745, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-102
The article was published as article 102 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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