Optimising Thermal Comfort in Algerian Reference Hotel Across Eight Climate Zones: A Comparative Study of Simulation and Psychrometric Chart Results

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The study developed in this paper analyzes the thermal performance of several hotel buildings located in different climatic zones of Algeria, considering the hours of thermal discomfort and design parameters. In this evaluation, both the PMV-PPD and adaptive models are used. The authors also use a numerical simulation model (designed by the authors) and Psychrometric Charts.

There are some aspects throughout the article that need to be improved and clarified. The authors are asked to consider the following issues:

1. Lines 43-44: Please provide a reference to ASHRAE Standard 55-2004.
2. Authors should provide a description of these PMV-PPD and adaptive models, what they depend on, under what circumstances they can be applied, etc. A brief review of the literature on them is recommended.
3. Lines 55-57: Authors should clearly analyze this aspect. There are several works that employ both models. Here are some of them: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109020; doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.05.025; doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.09.013; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111644
4. Gaps need to be properly identified (see previous comment). The new features proposed by your work must be clearly identified.
5. Lines 170-171: In order to better understand your study, you should provide a brief description of the various regions and climatic classifications of Algeria, as well as those specific to the case study presented here. Not all readers will have access to the reference indicated.
6. Lines 182-183: In order to better understand your study, you should provide a brief description of the details of the hotel and the study. Not all readers will have access to the reference indicated.
7. Line 189: Ref. [20] indicates ASHRAE Standard 55-2017.
8. Lines 189-191: Authors should mention how these discomfort hours are calculated.
9. Lines 193-195: Authors should mention which parameter values ​​mentioned here were used and why.
10. Line 197: What is the criteria and how were these passive strategies implemented? Please provide a description in your manuscript.
11. Lines 202-206: Please clarify how you obtained these values ​​from the Psychrometric Chart in Fig. 3. Also mention how you determine summer discomfort hours and winter discomfort hours.
12. Lines 207-214: It is necessary to clearly show how these results were obtained. What adaptive model do you refer to?
13. Line 219: More details about the measuring equipment used, including ranges and accuracies, are required.
14. Fig. 4: Please indicate the orientation of the building in the figure.
15. Ref. [23]: This reference is incomplete; you need to indicate a way to consult it.
16. The occupancy schedule should be presented in the article, for example in the form of a table.
17. Table 1: Are ACH values ​​considered constant? The air exchange rate also depends on occupancy; how is ventilation simulation performed taking occupancy into account?
18. Lines 256-259: Please show how you obtained these results.
19. Line 291: In order to better clarify the subsequent study, it is convenient to mention the details of the baseline scenario in this article.
20. Table 4: What is the rationale for choosing the values ​​of the optimization parameters? What is the rationale for choosing different values ​​depending on the PMV-PPD model and the adaptive model, when such a difference exists?
21. Lines 320-324: Please show in your article which regions these are. Not all readers have easy access to Standards such as those from ASHRAE.
22. Section 6.1, Fig. 6: How do you justify these differences, in the optimized case, some of which are quite significant (Illizi), between the values ​​obtained by the simulation model and those obtained by the psychronmetric chart?
23. Lines 410-411: How do you explain these significant differences?
24. Lines 434-435: This statement needs to be better substantiated. What do they mean by "...the simulation results relatively confirm the psychometric chart estimation..."?
25. How do you justify the differences observed between the results obtained with the PMV-PPD model and those obtained with the adaptive model? It is important to discuss these differences also in terms of the way in which these models are established.
26. All abbreviations must be included in the Nomenclature.
27. References must follow the MDPI model.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article "Optimising Thermal Comfort in Algerian Reference Hotel across Eight Climate Zones: A Comparative Study of Simulation and Psychrometric Chart Results" is devoted to the problem of energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings. The work is of scientific interest, but some adjustments are necessary.
1. The introduction needs to be significantly revised, a qualitative review of current studies and a literature review should be made. Do not list several sources without describing them (line 55).
2. It is necessary to expand the list of references to at least 40 sources.
3. The optimized design showed a significant reduction in discomfort hours. What is the qualitative reason for such changes?
4. Is it possible to somehow evaluate the economic indicators of your optimized solutions?
5. The "One-Variable-at-a-Time" (OAT) method was used, which does not take into account the interactions between parameters. More advanced methods, such as global sensitivity analysis (for example, the Sobol method), could give more accurate results. Why are they not used?
6. In the discussion, it is recommended to make a comparison with mathematical modeling of hydrodynamic air fields using numerical methods for solving the hydrodynamic equation.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Here are the required revisions and clarifications for the manuscript before formal acceptance:

​​1. Field Measurements​​: The authors used the Testo® 480 instrument for in-situ measurements. Given the hotel’s large scale, measurements focused on the eastern wing, including rooms and corridors. However, the specific measurement points should be illustrated in a diagram, and the rationale for their selection must be explained. Additionally, simulating only a portion of the hotel (e.g., the eastern wing) without accounting for thermal interactions with the entire building may affect the validity of the results.
​​2. If possible, including photographs of the on-site measurements would enhance the credibility and rigor of the study.
​​3. The equations used in the manuscript (e.g., Equations (a) and (b)) should be properly cited if they were not derived by the authors. Please provide the relevant references.
​​4. The manuscript lacks a detailed independent explanation for the selection of the 13 design parameters and the determination of their ranges. This should be clarified.
​​5. The use of NMBE (Normalized Mean Bias Error) and CVRMSE (Coefficient of Variation of the Root Mean Square Error) for data validation should be justified with appropriate references or standards.
​​Climate Zone Classification​​: The division of Algeria’s eight climate zones should be explicitly linked to local regulations or academic consensus. Please clarify the basis for this classification.
​​6. While the study explores universal and region-specific design parameters through cross-climate simulation of a single building, it does not account for local construction techniques, cost constraints, or cultural preferences (e.g., availability of traditional materials). These factors should be addressed through field surveys, or the hotel’s representativeness and generalizability should be explicitly discussed.
​​7. The study assumes fixed values for occupant density, equipment power, and ventilation schedules, neglecting dynamic variations in actual usage (e.g., seasonal fluctuations in hotel occupancy). Given the significant impact of visitor numbers on thermal comfort, this limitation should be further addressed.
​​8. The manuscript employs Local Sensitivity Analysis (One-Variable-at-a-Time, OAT) but does not specify the software used. Please provide this information.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English writing in this paper is generally clear and professional, conforming to academic standards. However, there remains room for improvement in grammatical accuracy, sentence structure variety, terminology consistency, and fluency of certain expressions.

For example, in line 14: "The thermal performance of hotel buildings, measured by discomfort hours and considering design parameters for both PMV-PPD and adaptive comfort models, is a crucial study area across Algeria's eight climate zones."

The subject ("thermal performance") does not align logically with the participial phrase ("considering"), which may lead to ambiguity.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have made changes, no comments.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have satisfactorily addressed my queries. This paper is acceptable.