Author(s): Åermin TAÄIL, Kemal ERSAYIN
The importance of the outdoor termal comfort is increasingly recognized with changing climate and increase of heat stress in cities. However, relatively few studies on outdoor thermal comfort have been done compared to indoor thermal comfort in Turkey. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of bioclimatic comfort in Balikesir province were studied, and the changes in the distribution in the year were examined. In this article, we aim to determine the area to be suitable for human life by means of thermal comfort in Balikesir province. For this, monthly thermal comfort conditions were analyzed to determine possible thermal perceptions. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) which is thermal index derived from the human energy balanced was used. The monthly PET values were produced using the RayMan Model, and the spatial distribution of PET was modeled by using inverse distance weighted (IDW) model. Annual PET was 13,6-19,5 oC, which is slightly cool-comfortable. Over the winter months the thermal comfort condition are concentrated in western coastal areas along the Edremit Gulf and Aegean Sea. In summer, almost of the area is under comfortable thermal perception. Autumn and spring has the same physiological stress level of thermal comfort. Areas with extreme and uncomfortable thermal conditions and heat stress affections could not be identified. Due to influence of topography, a small area around Balya and Dursunbey has been detected in cold thermal perception. Open space planning need a microclimatic analysis and an evaluation of peoples behaviour in open spaces in dependence of the thermal conditions and activities. In this context, the thermal comfort map which produced in this study should be useful for this decision making in order to plan activities in Bal?kesir.
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