The improved indoor climate from energy renovations of industrial buildings must be in the business case!

The project wanted to focus on the profits that can be gained from improved work satisfaction and employee performance. It has earlier been shown by many studies that there is something to gain from improved indoor climate conditions and it has therefore not been wanted to define the size of the performance improvement, but instead how the performance improvement subjectively is evaluated by the user. It was specifically wanted to investigate if the motivation is improved through work satisfaction with high indoor climate quality. The project thesis was that it is the employee motivation that is improved through the improved indoor climate, which thereby improves the employee performance.
 

Method
There has been developed a modified questionnaire which was compared to the measured indoor climate parameters; temperature, CO2 concentration and sound level. The questionnaire had a simple design so it could be answered very quickly without interfering with the participants work tasks. It ensured that the employee wanted to and had the energy to answer the questi­onnaire when it was handed out. In addition, it also ensured that the questionnaire had minimum impact on their daily work tasks by which valuable work perfor­mance could have been lost.

Results
A positive effect on the employee performance could be recorded in the newly renovated office building com­pared to the older office building with lower degree of automation and technical installations. Therefore, indoor climate must be included in the business case when an office building is being energy renovated to bring down dissatisfaction with the indoor climate comfort and to reduce the negative impact from the indoor climate on the employee performance. The indoor climate can generate great profit which largely surpasses the energy saving potentials.