Thermal radiation is a significant factor for the thermal comfort of man. The mean radiant temperature is the parameter used to describe the influence of thermal radiation on man’s general thermal comfort, i.e., his feeling of cold and warmth. The plane radiant temperature is then used to describe the asymmetry of the radiant environment. Very often these two factors are neglected when people measure and~or evaluate the influence of the thermal environment on man. This may be due to the difficulties in measuring these two parameters.

This paper will present and discuss several methods to measure or estimate these two factors. A comparison is made between different methods to measure the mean radiant temperature (globe-thermometer, ellipsoidshaped sensor, plane radiant temperature in six directions, estimation by means of surface temperature, and angle factors). This comparison is made for three typical rooms representing residential buildings, office rooms, and industrial workplaces.