It’s a common issue among business owners across all industries: “What temperature should I set my air conditioner in the summer?”
The temperature of your commercial space is paramount. Not only do your employees rely on a comfortable work environment, but customers and visitors are more likely to think favorably of your business if the temperature is kept at a comfortable level. Office temperature also plays a critical role in your company’s bottom line.
While everyone’s temperature preferences are different (and these may vary based on the time of day), there is an ideal temperature range that can meet the needs of your employees and customers without breaking your budget. Below, we’ll discuss the vital role temperature plays in your commercial space, how it affects your business, and what temperature you should consider setting your air conditioner to during the summer.
Continue reading below to find out more about the ideal temperature setting for your commercial building and how Design Mechanical can help you ensure your HVAC system is running efficiently all year round.
What Temperature Is Best for Commercial Building Spaces?
As a business owner, one of your many responsibilities is to ensure that your commercial building’s indoor environment is comfortable for your employees and customers. However, when a large group of people assembles in one area for an extended period, it can be challenging to ensure that the temperature is regulated in a manner that pleases everyone.
So what is the optimal summer temperature setting for commercial spaces?
According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the recommended temperature setting for your business during the summer is 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additionally, during a study conducted by the Berkeley National Laboratory, researchers concluded that a temperature of 71-72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Furthermore, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specifies a wide range of preferred temperatures ranging from 60 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
For most businesses, a comfortable temperature range typically falls between 73 and 76 degrees during the summer. Of course, this varies depending on your work environment, but it’s a good rule of thumb to remember when setting your thermostat. While these may appear to be higher temperatures, it is based on a number of factors designed to minimize the energy consumption and environmental impact associated with summer air conditioning usage.
It’s also important to remember that site-specific conditions may affect indoor temperatures. For example, employees who work near heat-generating equipment or in the path of the cool air of outdoor breezes may be uncomfortable with the temperatures set throughout the building.
Overall, the best temperature for your commercial setting is a temperature that makes the greatest number of people happy. During the summer, it is usually best to lean toward the warmer end of the temperature spectrum. Not only is it less expensive to cool a specific area, but more importantly, most employees and customers will be dressed more appropriately for the higher settings.
How Temperature Affects Your Business
The debate over the ideal indoor temperature is nothing new. Everyone performs better in their preferred working environment. While temperature deviations from personal preferences are to be expected, be sure to keep the following considerations in mind when deciding on the optimal temperature for your commercial building and workspace:
Employee Performance
Temperature plays a critical role in the performance of your employees.
While colder temperatures make it more difficult for employees to work due to muscle tension, high temperatures can reduce productivity in any workplace, particularly when physical labor is required. Additionally, suppose temperatures are too far outside of the comfortable median. In that case, interactions in stressful situations are likely to be shorter and more volatile, reducing employee communication effectiveness.
Employee Morale
Like employee performance, temperature also plays a pivotal role in employee mood and morale.
While extremely cold environments are more likely to make employees feel withdrawn and less sociable, extreme heat can make people angry and irritated, resulting in bad moods and short tempers. Similarly, if visiting your commercial space is unpleasant, customers are less likely to want to return over time.
Furthermore, employee tasks can be exhausting on their own, and working in an uncomfortable work environment can add to that. Employees who don’t feel comfortable in their workspace will likely become unmotivated to come to work, increasing the risk of absenteeism.
Energy Efficiency
When considering whether to use your AC system during the summer, it’s important not to wait for temperatures to reach their daily highs.
Cooling your workspace in short bursts throughout the day allows for enough time for your HVAC system to cool the workspace without having to work harder to cool the area. This not only saves you money on your energy bills, allows for a more gradual adjustment, resulting in a gentler and more natural cooling, but also prevents paying for extensive maintenance in the future.
Keep Your Commercial Space Cool with the Help of Design Mechanical
When it comes to ensuring business productivity, the importance of a suitable working environment cannot be overstated. In most instances, the best approach may be to aim for a temperature in the low 70s and then consider how to gather feedback from employees and customers to adjust the indoor air temperature accordingly.
While the optimal temperature will depend on the size, layout, and function of your workspace, finding the ideal temperature is an investment that will pay off in the long run.
If you’re a business owner or facility manager looking to cut back on HVAC expenses with an upgraded and highly efficient HVAC system, Design Mechanical is here to help.
At Design Mechanical, we understand how important it is to keep your business as comfortable as possible for your valued customers and employees. With our 24/7 HVAC services and a team of over 100 highly-trained specialists and technicians, we remain committed to ensuring that your AC unit is ready for the summer.
Contact Design Mechanical today to set up a free consultation and learn more about how we can handle all of your HVAC repair and maintenance needs.