Workplace productivity and individual thermal satisfaction

• Surrounding air temperature correlates poorly with self-estimated performance.
• Perceived thermal satisfaction correlates well with self-estimated performance.
• Performance of office work increased with greater individual thermal satisfaction.
• Personal control of thermal environment improves individual preferences.
• Practical implications for thermal satisfaction in boosting workplace productivity.

This study examines the relationship between individual thermal satisfaction and worker performance. Field measurements and a questionnaire survey were conducted within an organization participating in the COOL BIZ energy conservation campaign. A subjective experiment was also conducted in a climate chamber with eleven Japanese male subjects, testing five scenarios combining operative temperature (25.5 °C and 28.5 °C), clothing (with and without suits), and cooling items (desk fan, air-conditioned shirt, mesh office chair). From the individual analysis, actual air temperature in the COOL BIZ office was poorly correlated with self-estimated performance, whereas perceived thermal satisfaction correlated well with self-estimated performance (R2 = 0.944, p < 0.001). The results of the subjective experiment indicate that performance during simulated office work (i.e. multiplication and proof reading tasks) increased with greater individual thermal satisfaction (R2 = 0.403 and 0.464, p < 0.001). The finding that perceived thermal satisfaction of occupants is reflected in objective measurement of office work performance has practical implications for the evaluation of thermal satisfaction in real offices as a means to boost workplace productivity.