Summer is finally arriving in the UK, and it’s looking to be a real scorcher. Whilst this is indeed great news for those longing to hit the beach or throw a BBQ, high temperatures can be also a hassle. The impending heat is especially bad news for your staff working inside an office all day in the powerful heat.
Having a good air conditioning system is vital in the workplace, especially if you don’t want to see the performance of your company affected by a heat wave. Many companies decide to use air conditioning during day and night time alike. The reasons vary; in some cases, the office is still open for a night shift, and in other cases it is a measure to keep the office cool for when staff come in next morning.
The Cost of Running Air Conditioning Over Night
Some people believe that leaving the air conditioning on during the night is beneficial for their business. They are convinced that by not turning it off they are actually saving money, because the system stays at the same temperature without wasting energy to regulate it. Sadly, the idea that an air conditioner uses more energy, and therefore costs more money, being switched on that it does being left on is nothing but a myth.
It’s a simple matter of the physics of heat transfer. When the climate is warm, heat warms the interior spaces of a building until the internal temperature equals the external temperature. At this point, heat transfer no longer occurs and the temperature will not increase further. When an air conditioner is used, it only has to cool the room once to reach the desired temperature. It the air conditioning unit is left running all night, it will constantly be battling the heat transferring rather than just cooling down the room when necessary.
So, if you leave the air conditioning on day and night, the expenses will double – it is that simple. Therefore, it is something that you should plan for.
Cool the Office at Night Without the Air Conditioner
If there are a lot of machines in the office, they obviously produce a great deal of heat that, added to the already high temperatures of the environment, can turn the work space into a very uncomfortable place for your employees. However, there is a simple measure you can start implementing which will spare you the use of air conditioning during the whole night.
Naturally, the temperature of the environment tends to go a few degrees lower when the sun is gone. Take advantage of this and open some windows during the night shifts. You will probably discover that your office or building just needs a very short fraction of time to cool down and reach a pleasant temperature.
Protect the Environment by Switching it Off
With climate change already affecting our lives, you may want to make sure your business is green and environmentally friendly. The first step is to cut all those unnecessary energy expenses, and having the air conditioning on for the whole night is probably one. Remember that all electrical appliances save a lot of energy when they are switched off completely. Also, it is not true that air conditioning wastes a lot of energy just by being turned on and off. Whereas machines two decades ago did get some complications when being turning on and off constantly, this is not the case with the modern appliances we use today.
Use Programmable Thermostats
Thankfully, most modern air conditioning units will be equipped with a programmable thermostat that can be used to regulate the temperature. So, rather than leaving the air conditioning unit running all the time to be ready for your workers when they arrive in the morning, you can simply set the unit to come on an hour or so before people arrive so that the building becomes sufficiently cooled in time for the day’s work ahead.
Here at Heritage Heating and Cooling Ltd we are experts on office air conditioning, and we want to let you know how you can take the most of it. We offer a wide range of choices to suit all businesses’ specific requirements. Feel free to contact us at any time and we will be delighted to help.
