Summer outdoor thermal comfort assessment in city squares—A case study of cold dry winter, hot summer climate zone

Human thermal perception varies with climate. The Dwa climate zone covers vast areas. Conducting outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) studies here would benefit energy efficiency and the economy. However, since OTC research methods are not standardized, different research methods hamper comparing studies in the Dwa climate. This paper aims to determine the summer OTC of typical Dalian squares in the Dwa climate. Dalian is located in the cold A zone (2A) of the China Building Climate Division. The thermal environment of three typical squares was field measured, and a questionnaire survey of the residents was conducted. 33.2 % of Dalian residents evaluated the thermal environment as neutral, and 39.3 % considered it comfortable. And psychological perception and physical perception were not the same. Multiple methods were used to calculate outdoor thermal benchmarks and calibrate thermal stress for three thermal indexes, SET*, PET, and UTCI. Furthermore, PET, with a prediction accuracy of 25.3 %, was determined to be the best indicator applicable to Dalian in the summer. Finally, a comparison of studies under the Dwa climate zone, including Tianjin and Harbin, reconfirmed the mobility of the human thermal zone. These findings are precious and can contribute significantly to ensuring the sustainability of the outdoor environment.