The British Council for Offices is recommending that air temperature in offices be raised by two degrees to slash the energy consumption of air-conditioning

At its annual conference in Edinburgh this week it launched the latest edition of its BCO Specification guide for office buildings, which recommended that design temperatures in air-conditioned offices should rise from 22ºC to 24ºC.

The move comes after the body conducted field trials last summer and considered the latest academic research, which concluded that the increase would not affect comfort and productivity.

The BCO has also announced plans to launch guides to influence office development in some key markets, starting with the Middle East. The BCO Specification is already being used around the world where no such consensus exists, but it says there is now mounting demand for guides tailored to local markets.

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