• Placing a fan in front of another air source can enhance its cooling power
• Using technology at the hottest time of day can make a room warmer
• Many indoor plants offer fantastic cooling properties

Maintaining a cool office environment is essential during the summer months. Not only does it allow your team to stay comfortable, but it can enhance their productivity and concentration. In a stuffy environment, however, the wellbeing of your employees and efficiency of their working can be impacted.

With this in mind, we’ve outlined eight practical tips for keeping the office cool.

1. Install Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is one of the best ways to cool an office, with their smart appearance, and fantastic efficiency and effectiveness. Choose an air conditioner with a rotary feature, so every member of the team is given relief from stifling temperatures. With our large range of air conditioning units, from leading brands such as Honeywell, it’s easy to find the best device for your office from Purple Panda.

Remember, air conditioners require regular maintenance and servicing to ensure optimal performance and air quality. When adding air coolers to your office, stay vigilant with our air quality monitors from Nooku.

What is air conditioning and how does it work?

Using a refrigerant, air conditioners remove heat before evaporating it through a coil, causing cold air to be churned back out. In this process, liquid is turned into a gas which is then compressed. It’s then converted back into a liquid, and this cycle repeats itself, cooling the entire space.

2. Utilise Fans Strategically

Fans are another practical cooling method that can be just as effective in balancing the temperature of a room. Whether you opt for a tower fan or a desk fan, you can distribute vast amounts of air, cooling a small or large space. A great tip when adding a fan system to your office space is to place it near another airflow source such as an open door or window. The corner of a room works well too.

There are several energy-efficient fans available at Purple Panda; allowing you to keep costs down while enhancing air circulation.

3. Introduce Proper Ventilation

Hot and humid air can hamper employee performance and cause common office machinery like computers to overheat. It’s important to have proper ventilation to keep your staff and equipment in good working order. The easiest way to improve ventilation is by opening the windows and doors.

However, having the window open all day can have the opposite effect of keeping a space cool, especially during peak temperatures. We recommend opening windows during the cooler parts of the day like the morning and evening.

4. Add Window Coverings 

To keep the heat out at the hottest time of day, try using light-coloured window coverings. Direct sunlight shone through windows will immediately increase an office’s temperature, but light-coloured blinds or curtains reflect the heat instead. We recommend combining your window covering with a reflective film to enhance its cooling power.

5. Reduce Heat-Generating Equipment

Computers, printers and other common office devices can make your office even hotter. These machines use a fan to distribute air, which get can hot if they’re constantly switched on. When the weather’s hot, try to plan your working days out to reduce device usage. Schedule team meeting or workshops at the hottest part of the day. This way, you don’t have to rely on tech to get the task done, and your team can work in a cooler space.

6. Introduce Indoor Plants

Indoor plants have been scientifically proven to cool the air through the process of transpiration. Transpiration refers to the chemical process used by plants to create glucose and oxygen. Not only does introducing indoor plants into the office provide a natural way to stay cool, but they can purify the air, creating a healthier and calming space.

Cooling plants suitable for an office include snake plants, peace lilies, aloe vera, pothos, rubber plants and Boston ferns. Educate the team on how to care for these plants so you get the most cooling properties out of them.

7. Dress Code Flexibility

A simple but effective solution to creating a cool office environment is to allow your team to dress flexibly. Office attire can have a huge impact on personal comfort and, as a result, our productivity. While turning up to the office in a bikini remains inappropriate, allowing shorts and skirts ensures that all everyone can work while feeling comfortable.

8. Hydration Stations

Lastly, staying hydrated is vital for staying cool and healthy. Setting up hydration stations with water and cold drinks during the summer will keep everybody refreshed, and it can be seen as rewarding. Make sure you’re actively checking that your employees take regular hydration breaks throughout the day. You can also provide reusable water bottles to encourage this further.

There are many ways that you and your team can stay cool in the office. With the help of Purple Panda, you can create a chilled atmosphere that’s both relaxing and productivity-enhancing by implementing air conditioning units and fans into the room. If you're considering investing in smart cooling technology, check out our air conditioning unit buying guide.