The Availability and Use of Thermal Control Systems in Older People’s Houses at Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

There are several studies that have investigated thermal comfort and adaptive behaviour in Saudi Arabia. However, no study has investigated thermal comfort and the adaptability of older people in the Middle East region. Thus, this research set out to investigate the adaptive behaviour of older people regarding the use of thermal control systems in their houses in Saudi Arabia. A field study was carried out from June 7th to June 24th, 2021. A sample group of 30 participants was recruited from the city of Taif in Saudi Arabia and 300 responses were collected during the transverse and longitudinal study. Also, a case study house was selected to investigate the availability of thermal control systems in older people’s houses in Saudi Arabia. The case study house analysis revealed that air conditioning is available in most spaces, while only ceiling fans are available in some areas. The results of the transverse study revealed that older people can adjust their thermal environment easily using thermal control systems, with minimum assistance required. The most-reported difficulties concerned the labels of controls that were written in a small font or a different language. The results of the longitudinal survey indicated that adjusting air conditioning was the most reported adaptive strategy, followed by window opening or closing and adjusting clothing insulation. It was found that older people had a neutral thermal sensation toward their environment and a slightly cool to cool thermal preference.