People spend a huge chunk of their time working in the office, so it is important for them to feel comfortable during their stay. Office workers who are at ease with their surroundings will be more likely to finish their workload efficiently. And one way company owners can provide their workers with an environment that is conducive to working is ideal office temperatures.
A well-designed heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is essential in achieving a pleasant work environment. This system should be regularly maintained so that it won’t cause the workers any problem at a time when they have to be more productive. Read on to learn more about the elements of efficient HVAC design and how to keep it running smoothly.
Schedule regular maintenance checks
This is the best way to maintain the efficiency of your system. Frequent checkups prolong the life of the system and ensure that it works well and provide your office space with efficient cooling and ventilation services. Regular maintenance checks also allow a technician to see if there is a need for an HVAC system repair for your commercial space in Utah.
Integrate sensors
Make use of the light and occupancy sensors that are available in smart buildings. Integrating these into the HVAC system will tremendously help in saving energy.
- Occupancy sensors track the number of people who are currently staying in a room. They can relay this message to the HVAC controls. For instance, when the sensor detects a large gathering of people in a specific area, the cooling there will be increased to accommodate the additional number of people.
- Light sensors detect the amount of sunlight that enters a space, so they can adjust the lighting accordingly. These sensors can also be incorporated into the HVAC system, so they can send a signal to the controls to automatically adjust the heating and cooling as needed.
Separate the space into different zones
The office’s HVAC system design should have a lot of independently controlled zones within one open space. This is necessary because various areas require different temperature levels to remain sufficiently comfortable.
For instance, places that are usually occupied by crowds, such as the lunchroom, sleeping quarters, and conference rooms, require more cooling when there are occupants, and less if not currently in use. Outer areas, such as those near the doors and windows, are more affected by the weather and outside temperature than inner areas and therefore need to have separate temperature control.
An HVAC system that is efficiently designed works well in maintaining an indoor environment that is conducive to productivity and learning. Most importantly, it provides a healthy working environment for the office space’s occupants. Although temperature preferences may vary, the management should aim for a temperature that feels comfortable for the majority of office workers. According to research conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the normal range of temperature that works best for most people is 21°C to 25°C or 70°F to 77°F.
