Heat is no friend of productivity. Your interior environment changes as the temperature rises. It can lead to unproductiveness in business settings with high humidity levels or Vapor Pressure phenomena where sweat doesn't evaporate quickly enough, leaving us feeling hotter. It makes for an unpleasant experience and affects someone's ability to stay focused on tasks at hand because there is always something vying for attention other than completing what must get done right away!
Fortunately, you can quickly cool down a room to more manageable temperatures. These nine tips keep you and your workspace cool, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
- Use high-efficiency lighting and natural light
- Take advantage of daylighting with a skylight roof hatch in high-traffic areas or utilize energy-efficient light bulbs, such as LEDs. Replace all incandescent lightbulbs that may be the reason you're having trouble cooling your space. It generates a lot of heat, so switching to energy-saving bulbs can help cool your office space while saving money on energy bills – it's a great move!
- Repair your doors, windows, and insulation
- Consider replacing your windows, doors, and insulation with more energy-efficient options. Better insulation and tighter sealing will save you money by keeping your space cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
- Make sure attic access doors are properly insulated and sealed. Leaking attic access can raise the temperature of the room. Add a layer of insulation to your attic floor to keep heat from radiating.
- Consider having an Anti-Heat External Blinds
- A room can be kept cool by using external blinds. It reduces passive heating on the exterior of your building while maintaining a relaxed, comfortable temperature in your room without sacrificing your outdoor views or natural lighting.
- The key was to keep the sun from coming in through the windows in the first place. These external blinds do precisely that, reducing the heat by a couple of degrees.
- Close and cover the windows
- In the summer months, the simplest way to keep a room cool without air conditioning is to close the windows. It may be challenging to sell to those who enjoy fresh air, but it works. Closing the windows will help keep the interior of your home cooler if the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
- To reduce heat inside, the Department of Energy recommends medium-colored drapes with white-plastic backing, and some people choose blackout curtains to keep windows covered and eliminate sunlight.
- Use Fans Effectively
- Fans can be your best friend if you use them correctly. Fans move the air rather than cool it; how and where you use them is essential. The best way to circulate cooler air and push hot air out is to create a cross breeze with fans. Locate the coolest part of your building and direct the fan towards the hottest part of the room. It helps draw cooler air from one side of the room and push warmer air out.
- Consider getting a dehumidifier
- People are far more uncomfortable in moist heat than in dry heat. Dehumidifiers absorb moisture from the hot summer air in your building, making it much more comfortable even at higher temperatures.
- The ideal indoor humidity is below 60%. Use a unit that turns off when humidity falls below your desired level to save money on electricity—water your plants with the humidifier's collected water.
- Leave the windows open at night
- Temperatures outside usually drop lower than the temperature inside after the sun has set. If this occurs, remove the window covers and open the windows as wide as possible. If you have double-hung windows, you may not be aware that the top sashes on most modern double-hung windows can also open.
- Paint the roof and exterior surfaces with light colors
- Painting your roof, cladding, and bricks can reduce your home's warmth. White paint can reduce the roof's temperature by up to 30 degrees Celsius. It has the potential to make a significant, positive difference.
- Use insulating window films
- It is one of the quickest, most effective, and cost-efficient ways to insulate your house or office without replacing your current windows. It can help keep your home or office comfortable all day by blocking up to 78 percent of the sun's heat from entering your windows.
- An insulating window film can significantly improve the performance of any residential or commercial glass for a fraction of the expense of replacing the glass. Window film insulation is an investment that pays for itself over time by lowering your heating and cooling bills.
- Importance of Having a Comfortable Workplace During a Hot Summer
- When the weather is hot and sticky, the last thing anyone wants to do is spend the day in an uncomfortable workplace. The good news is that you can make your workplace more comfortable in the summer.
Below are five of the best benefits of a comfortable workplace!
- Increased productivity
- With the summer heat often making it difficult to concentrate, employers should consider air conditioning in office spaces. Maintaining a comfortable temperature for employees will help them be more productive and feel at ease during their workday, especially when facing high temperatures that can make focusing challenging or impossible.
- Improved morale
- Morale is an important factor in employee satisfaction. When employees are satisfied, they're more likely to be productive and stay with the company longer- which means that higher morale leads directly to better business results!
- Reduced absenteeism
- Healthy workers are productive workers. When an employee is happy, they're less likely to take time off for several reasons. It can be costly for the business financially and aesthetically if you miss out on production because someone was sick when no one had the energy to do what is needed!
- Increased customer satisfaction
- The customer satisfaction rate will increase because employees are more likely to deliver excellent service when they feel comfortable. It means satisfied customers who return, refer others, or buy products from your company!
- Increased safety
- When the workforce is more comfortable, mishaps are less likely. It means businesses may save money in future expenses due to an increased safety awareness among employees and what this entails for their company's bottom line!
What does it mean to have a "reasonable" temperature?
The Health and Safety Executive recommends that workplace temperatures be at least 16 degrees Celsius or 13 degrees Celsius if the work requires strenuous physical effort. The HSE, however, claims that they cannot provide a specific figure. A reasonable temperature for a workplace depends on work activity and the weather factors of the workplace. It will differ for someone doing manual labor versus someone working at a desk or working in an office versus someone working in a kitchen.
Final Thoughts
We all know that the summertime is a slow time for businesses, but it doesn't mean your office has to feel like an air conditioning zone. Those are just some of the many benefits of creating more comfortable workplaces this season!
If you want better feedback from employees or would like them to be happier with their jobs, take advantage now by making changes before they become too uncomfortable in their current workplace.