Winter thermal study in coastal rural dwellings: focus on elderly comfort in Chinese cold coastal regions

With the continuous progress of China’s rural revitalization and the increasing aging population in coastal rural areas, it has become a research focus to make the indoor thermal environment more suitable for the elderly, especially in winter. This study took Qingdao’s coastal rural areas in the cold region of China as an example. A field survey was conducted in 110 coastal rural dwellings, and four typical dwellings were selected for on-site measurements. This study collected information on the characteristics of local residential buildings, the primary living spaces for the elderly, heating methods, and thermal satisfaction. It also documented the energy expenditure and thermal conditions of the surveyed dwellings. The research findings indicate that the current heating system, while capable of partially improving the indoor thermal environment, is still affected by poor thermal insulation performance. As a result, there are issues such as low average indoor temperature, significant temperature fluctuations, and overall thermal instability. The findings of this study provide comprehensive information on the heating modes used in coastal rural dwellings, and the results can be utilized to evaluate and further improve the thermal environment of dwellings in cold coastal rural areas.