Too many business owners think about their HVAC systems when either the system isn’t working or the energy bill is too high – but there’s another cost associated with HVAC systems that is hidden in plain sight, attesting to decreased productivity, sick days, and general workplace morale.
The air that your employees breathe impacts how well they work. Therefore, if your heating and cooling system isn’t functioning properly, it’s likely that your indoor air quality is lacking as well.
Research Uncovers Cognitive Decline in Poorly Ventilated Areas
Here’s an interesting fact that surprises many people – cognitive performance is reduced for higher CO2 levels and inadequately ventilated places. Researchers assessed workers completing the same tasks with different parameters based on air quality and compared the time taken to finish, decision-making capabilities, problem-solving abilities, and the accuracy of more basic tasks. Most findings showed that adequate air quality and lower levels of CO2 provided improved performance levels compared to subpar air circulation.
But here’s the catch: very few commercial spaces are built for optimum air quality. They’re built for airflow standards that meet ventilation codes yet that’s different from creating a place where people can actually perform their best.
When an HVAC system isn’t working properly, filters are dirty, air circulation is poor, etc., CO2 accumulates faster as particulates linger longer. Temperature zones become uneven and people feel tired, unable to focus, or simply uncomfortable without knowing exactly why.
Temperature Control is Critical
Everyone’s worked in that office where half of the staff is cold while the other half is sweating. It’s not just annoying, it’s distracting.
Temperature ranges of 70 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit create productive settings. When temperatures dip below or exceed those parameters, productivity decreases; studies suggest productivity decreases by 6% for every degree above 75 degrees. When people are spending mental energy on how hot or cold they feel rather than focusing on their jobs, efficiency decreases.
But HVAC systems need efficiency to ensure temperature consistency. If components are dirty or filters are obstructing airflow, hot spots and cold zones develop. Systems work longer to compensate and while it costs more in energy, it still doesn’t solve the discomfort issue.
Filtration Equals Healthier Employees
This is where it gets expensive in ways that do not show up on your utility bill. Filtration means fewer dust particles, allergens, and airborne particles circulating in the workplace. For those with asthma, allergies and/or other respiratory conditions, this means more sick days – and when they’re not sick but in attendance, their performance is subpar.
This costs employers between $200 to $400 average per sick day when factoring lost productivity and it’s not just absences; it’s decreased performance for everyone in the time they are present. If improved air quality can reduce respiratory-related absences by just a fraction of a percentage, then at least the return on investment for industrial air filtration systems becomes crystal clear.
In addition, when air quality is not ideal, headaches, eye irritation and fatigue occurs instead; people are at their desks yet without their full capacity attention for which they were hired. Although this reduced performance isn’t as quantifiable as missed days, it likely costs more overall than sick days ever would.
Expense Efficiency
This is where HVAC efficient systems collide with air quality. When HVAC systems function effectively as they should, then they expend less energy doing so and their operational efforts result in healthier outcomes.
When inefficiency occurs, neglect happens or air circulation systems don’t pass temperate and fresh air through commercial spaces effectively then energy expended costs businesses more than it needs to in addition to compromised comfort levels.
Whereas a clean filter allows proper airflow so adequate temperature settings can be reached without running longer than necessary to achieve such goals, dirty filters or improperly maintained systems fail to assess temperature zoning for everyone involved. Aspects should work together; however, when inefficiency occurs, everything suffers simultaneously.
Humidity
One of the most overlooked aspects of comfort is humidity control – and when a system works properly it promotes comfort challenges according to humidity levels as well.
On average, indoor humidity should be between 30% and 50%; beyond that adds moisture that compounds feelings of suffocation (not to mention mold growth) or it becomes too dry where sinuses dry out (plus increased viral transmission). When this happens, people get uncomfortable and it’s not always a health-related issue; it sometimes manifests as personal preference.
Yet when systems run efficiently they incorporate humidity levels as needed – when systems aren’t working properly they fall by the wayside first; employees might not notice but they’re sure impacted even if they don’t realize humidity’s the culprit.
Creating Places Where People Want To Work
The modern workforce wants to work in places where they feel happy. They’re choosing employers based on various perks beyond a paycheck – and unless an employer meets minimum standards, these highly-qualified individuals are on the lookout elsewhere.
It’s not just fancy perks that come with an appealing workspace but rather good air quality, consistent temperatures and adequate lighting that provide a baseline atmosphere that makes people feel appreciated enough that they want to work there.
No one’s going to tout the new filters or talk about proactive maintenance online but when someone walks into work without a headache at 3 PM after being exposed to such conditions for years before now – and appreciates having comfortable temperature control throughout – then there’s a certain pride in what’s going on behind the scenes.
Conclusion: Investment Is Overlooked
When HVAC systems are viewed simply as a utility expense then owners fail to realize how integral their heating/cooling systems are to workplace productivity. The air quality fosters how comfortable someone is in performing their job and if business owners invest in productive efficiency then the return on investment means greater productivity for all involved.
Better efficiency means less energy cost. Better system efficiency means healthier employees with fewer sick days too as well as better focus – which also increases productivity.
It’s clear that each HVAC system has its own temperature zoning abilities; however, those owners/collaborators who understand the intersection of system efficiency with human performance foster spaces where people can finally thrive – and that’s worth more than any power bill savings.
