Thermal comfort and occupant responses during summer in a low to middle income housing development in South Australia

• Occupant thermal comfort and responses during a summer period were investigated.
• Occupants used passive means and adjusted their clothing accordingly.
• Air-conditioning was the last preferred strategy due to cost implication.
• Majority of ‘neutral’ votes fall within ASHRAE adaptive model acceptability limit.
• Occupants' warm sensation occurred at temperature higher than standard assumption.

This paper presents a study conducted to investigate occupants' thermal comfort and responses during a summer period in a low to middle income housing development. The study was conducted with the overall aims of understanding how occupants in this context responded to their indoor environment during hot weather and the strategies they used to achieve thermal comfort. The study found that resorting to air-conditioners was the least preferred strategy due to implications for their energy bills. Turning on ceiling fans, opening or closing windows and doors, and opening or closing curtains were the first set of actions taken by most occupants when they wanted to be cooler. The occupants also adjusted their clothing and activity according to the anticipated weather condition. The study highlights the importance of providing appropriate thermal comfort provisions, such as operable windows and ceiling fans, in houses in general, and particularly in low to middle income housing developments.