A Field Survey of Window-Opening Behavior and Thermal Conditions in Apartments of Surabaya, Indonesia

A field survey was conducted in apartments of Surabaya, Indonesia to investigate occupants’ window-opening behavior and their thermal conditions. A total of 347 households were interviewed and about 30 houses were covered for measurements of thermal conditions. It was seen that occupants in the naturally ventilated apartments tend to open windows or doors as much as possible at least during daytime for satisfying air flow and ventilation in particular. The average duration of opening windows/doors was 16-17 hours/day in the naturally ventilated apartments, while the corresponding duration in air-conditioned private apartments was less than 5 hours/day. The results of measurement showed that generally indoor air temperatures was about 6°C lower than the outdoors during 11:00 to 19:00, while it was 3°C higher than the outdoors for the rest of the day, i.e. nighttime. The structural cooling effect was evident in these apartments.