Analysis of indoor thermal environment and human thermal comfort in rural residences of Northern Henan, China

To address inadequate winter indoor thermal comfort in rural areas of Northern Henan, China, this study carried out field investigations in a representative village in Jiaozuo. The underlying factors contributing to low indoor temperatures in rural dwellings were analyzed, and neutral temperatures along with acceptable thermal comfort ranges for different age groups were determined based on thermal sensation votes. The results reveal that winter indoor temperatures in older houses are critically low, averaging 5.99?C and 4.09?C, which do not satisfy basic thermal comfort requirements. Both older and newly constructed residences experience substantial heat loss through exterior walls, with interior surface temperatures consistently lower than indoor air temperatures. Furthermore, neutral temperatures and the 90 % acceptable thermal comfort ranges increase with age: 14.97?C (13.73- 16.11?C) for youth, 15.57?C (14.27-16.86?C) for middle-aged adults, and elderly, 16.70?C (15.30-18.12?C) for the elderly. These findings underscore the importance of integrating age-specific thermal requirements into energy-efficient residential retrofit strategies to improve thermal comfort while reducing heating energy demand, providing a scientific basis for formulating local thermal environment standards and targeted renovation policies for rural housing in Northern Henan.