Thermal Indices Influence on Occupants’ Window Opening Behaviours: A Case of Ibadan and Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Window opening operations are considered as one of the significant way of regulating indoor climate and maintaining thermal comfort in buildings, even when alternative active devices such as fans and air conditioners are available. This study investigates responses of occupants of the traditional core areas of Ibadan and Ogbomoso to thermal comfort conditions (thermal stress) through window opening behaviours. Climatic data of the two cities were subjected to Evans scale to predict their day and night thermal stress and questionnaires were administered to know how occupants respond to changing thermal conditions through window opening behaviours. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analysing the data. The study found the morning periods to be the most comfortable, the afternoon periods offer the most hot discomfort condition and cold discomfort is mostly experienced in the evening periods in both cities. Findings revealed that majority of occupants in both cities prefer to keep their windows opened in the morning and afternoon periods and an increase was observed in the numbers of occupants who prefer to keep their windows closed in the evening periods. This is an indication that building occupants in both cities actively respond to thermal stress using window opening operations. Results obtained from chi square analysis concluded that there is a significant relationship between occupants’ window opening behaviour and thermal conditions at different periods of the day in both cities. Recommendations were given on how to improve on window opening systems in the future