Thermal comfort in tropical humid climate to an amendment of international standards.

This article deals with the conditions of thermal comfort in tropical humid climate. Several studies have indicated that in such climate, an overestimation of air-conditioned buildings is at the level of discomfort compared to that provided by international standards. We present the results of a survey carried out in air-conditioned buildings in the cities of Douala and Yaounde in Cameroon in other to determine the conditions of optimal comfort and the acceptable thermal comfort zone. The experimental results found, are in agreement with other studies in air-conditioned atmospheres in tropical climate, allowing for assurance of thermal comfort with modest energy consumption without any resort to the use of active cooling. We recommend a reordering of international ergonomics standards ASHRAE 55-81 and ISO 7730 for tropical climates, for them to claim universally validity.