Building temperature is an often overlooked, but crucial factor when looking to improve operation strategies. Building temperature and comfort is related to employee production levels and the amount customers will purchase.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends a commercial building temperature range from 60 to 76 degrees. But what is the best temperature for commercial building operations and how can you maintain that temperature without raising energy costs?
Maintaining building comfort can seem difficult or pricy, but an energy management system (EMS) makes it easy.
When it comes to employee performance and customer satisfaction, temperature and comfort can make all the difference.
A 2004 Cornell University study examined how temperature may adversely affect employee performance. To do this, researchers examined how many errors employees made in a building with a thermostat set to 68 degrees versus when temperatures were a warmer 77 degrees. The colder building held distracted, uncomfortable employees who made 44% more errors and were half as productive as the warmer office.
The decrease in performance was found to cost employers 10% more an hour, per employee.
While a specific temperature cannot be directly connected to higher sales, the correlation between product valuation and customer comfort is undeniable. A 2014 study found that customers shopping in warmer environments find products to be worth more of their money and are willing to pay higher prices.
Overall, employee and customer comfort can directly impact your bottom line in a positive way if managed correctly.
While temperature is a large component of employee and customer comfort, simply turning up or down the temperature is not always the answer and could significantly raise building energy costs. An energy management system can help better manage building temperatures.
An energy management system is a group of hardware components that work together to monitor and control a building’s energy use, and typically includes sensors that monitor real-time data from key areas within a building such as lighting, ventilation, and heating/cooling equipment, then process the data by software algorithms to control energy usage and generate alerts if any issues arise.
Traditional buildings are set up to be static, but building needs are fluid and must be able to adjust in response to the weather, climate, maintenance, or other building needs to ensure there is no loss of comfort.
Smart buildings that incorporate energy management systems allow facility managers to make informed decisions about comfort, quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Improving these operations can lead to an 8-11% increase in productivity among occupants as well as streamline scheduling and visibility through remote monitoring.
By digitizing commercial building operations, facility managers can improve control and transparency in building performance. This digitization, in turn, improves operational efficiency, comfort, sustainability goals, and even profitability.
With GridPoint’s EMS, automatic alerts notify facility operators when HVAC equipment begins to malfunction or if temperatures change, allowing for remote monitoring and instant adjustment to quality controls when needed.
This technology saves energy and decreases operational costs, while also providing maximum flexibility. With intelligent buildings, facility managers and business owners can pivot and alter strategies when necessary.
Investing in improved technologies is not only a pillar of achieving sustainability goals, but it’s also central to yielding efficient building operations and optimizing energy resources. By strategically transforming facility operations with updated and optimized digital technologies, even the smallest buildings can streamline efficiency and improve operations.
Sign up for a free demo today to learn more about how GridPoint can help ensure customer and employee comfort in your commercial buildings.