Thermal Comfort

Temperature is a key factor in employee well being and efficiency. Being too hot or too cold has a big impact on productivity.

Salary and employee related costs are estimated to make up 80% of the total operating expense of a building. Increases in productivity will reduce these costs due to an improved workflow and a reduction in absenteeism.

If productivity is increased by 1% in a company, this equates to 0.8% of the total operating expense. This demonstrates that relatively minor percentage increases in productivity have a big economic impact and provide a positive case for organisations to invest in improving the quality of their indoor environments.

The British Standard BS EN 7730 defines thermal comfort as 'that condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment' and therefore it is hard to measure thermal comfort, however, various studies show that an ideal indoor working temperature range should be between 20-24 degrees centigrade. Outside of this temperature range there is a sharp decline in productivity as occupants find it difficult to concentrate and uncomfortable to work.

Dynamic exterior blinds provide a cost effective solution to creating a sustainable and comfortable internal thermal environment. By blocking solar radiation, external blinds minimise solar gain and therefore reduce internal heat build up. This improves comfort and increases occupant productivity, whilst minimising, if not avoiding the need for air conditioning which has the resultant benefits of saving money on energy costs and reducing a buildings carbon footprint.

Whilst thermal comfort is a key element in improving productivity, visual comfort (light and glare control) must also be taken into consideration...an article on this will be published soon.