Occupants’ Workplace Satisfaction Following Implementation of Minimum Set Point Temperature Directive in Government Office Buildings

Thermal comfort influences productivity and satisfaction of occupants of a workplace. Improper set point for air conditioning may cause discomfort and may lead to low productivity among building occupants. Malaysia is known for its hot and humid weather that air-conditioning is widely used in office buildings. Recently a circular was released by the government to enforce a minimum set point temperature of 24°C in all government office buildings as a mean to conserve energy. This paper presents a study on evaluation of the satisfaction level of occupants following implementation of a government directive on the minimum set point temperature in the office buildings of a polytechnic in Malaysia. The study was conducted by measurement of the room air temperature and relative humidity of the occupied office area. In addition, a survey was conducted on the occupants to gauge their satisfaction on the comfort level in the office. It was found that 94% of the occupants indicated that their offices are comfortable despite increase in the set point temperature.