Web-based service for prediction of thermal comfort conditions in large administrative centers of the Russian Federation

This paper discusses the problem of thermal comfort in cities of the Russian Federation. The average person is faced with environmental conditions that are beyond his control. In residential areas associated with permanent population, a more comfortable thermal state is achieved by architectural and urban planning methods. For scientific assessment of thermal comfort, indices have been developed, the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), taking into account many factors. These are completely new indices, and there are no statistical regular data available in Russia during the recent ten years. Calculations are made to obtain bioclimatic indices and characteristics of selected cities for further assessment of the comfort of cities and their comparison. In addition, this paper describes a project http://heat2020.ru Heat in Russian Cities . The main aim and methods of the project are given, and forecasts of comfort for Moscow in direct sunlight and in shade conditions are compared and analysed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.