GoodCents Blog Alignment of Comfort & Energy Savings in Utility Program Design

If you've ever had the experience that the building you work in is too warm in winter and/or too cool in summer, you are not alone. Americans often find themselves in an office, store or restaurant that's either frigid or sweltering, when the weather outside is the opposite.According to an article in Utility Dive, a new study from researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology found "commercial buildings are spending $600 million more than necessary every year to heat and cool spaces, while wasting significant energy doing so." The research showed that only 11 percent of commercial buildings met the ASHRAE thermal comfort standard, meaning that inappropriate indoor temps left workers dissatisfied-and wasted energy to boot.Even if this seems like a pretty insignificant issue, it does add up. Somewhat surprisingly, the study found "that 42 percent of workers report being dissatisfied with the temperature in their offices, with 14 percent being very dissatisfied."