The temperature of the workplace is vital in accordance with law, responsibility and comfort. The recommended temperature of an office is around 16 C. Although Britain is not known for its scorching summers, it can get very hot in a building. Other factors other than the weather such as the number of workers, machinery and type of work will all contribute to how warm an office is. Therefore, we have written this blog to see whether an electric fan or air conditioning system is most environmentally friendly for your company.
Simply, an AC unit will change the temperature of the room. Whereas a fan will only focus air into one area. A business which aims to provide a workspace in line with health and safety guidelines should opt for a system which can control and moderate temperatures. It is not environmentally friendly, or cost effective to supply the office a fan for each employee. On average, if a fan is on for 12 hours it can cost between 5p-14p to run. If you are providing a large office with fans and they are running all day, imagine how much it would cost per week, per month, per year. Not only do they cost a lot to run, the amount of energy wasted on concentrating air is shocking in regards to its inability to actually ‘cool’ the room.
It will be more cost-effective and eco-friendly in the long run if an efficient AC system is installed. If you are still worried about the environmental factors of air conditioning units, consider having an energy management system or following energy consumption best practices in order to reduce your consumption even further.
Some best practices include:
- Sign up for an audit to see where/ if your air is leaking to the outside, meaning your AC is having to work harder to make the room cool, therefore using more energy. By having this audit you can invest in solutions to stop the air from leaking, saving you money and becoming more eco conscious’.
- Consider placement of your thermostat. If your thermostat is next to a hot window it will think the room is hotter than it is, therefore producing more cool air- This causes an increase in price and energy.
- Reduce the amount of light entering the room, light will make the room hotter! For example blinds or tinted windows.
The lifespan of the equipment is also important to consider. A fan will often have a shorter life expectancy than an air conditioning system as they have been built to be used on a wide scale in a commercial and industrial setting, whereas a fan is only meant for a short period of use mainly onto one person. A fan will need to be replaced more often than a system, therefore, in the long run, you could be saving your business £££ by investing in a long-term solution rather than short term.
Here at WINNS Services, we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations and working with clients to offer the best solution to their queries. If you have any questions regarding energy management please do not hesitate to call us on 01702 719100 or email us at info@winnsservices.co.uk.
