Abstract
Energy efficiency (i.e., the ratio of output of performance to input of energy) in office buildings can reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions, but there are barriers to widespread adoption of energy efficient solutions in offices because they are often perceived as a potential threat to perceived comfort, well-being, and performance of office users. However, the links between offices' energy efficiency and users' performance and well-being through their moderators are neither necessary nor empirically confirmed. The purpose of this study is to carry out a systematic review to identify the existing empirical evidence regarding the relationships between energy-efficient solutions in sustainable office buildings and the perceptions of employees' productivity and well-being. Additionally, we aim to identify relevant boundary conditions for these relationships to occur. A systematic literature search of online databases for energy efficiency literature (e.g., Environment Complete, GreenFILE), employee literature (e.g., PsycINFO, Business Source Complete) and general social science literature (e.g., Academic Search Complete) yielded 34 empirical studies. Also, inclusion and exclusion criteria were set. The results suggest that it is possible to decouple energy costs from organizational outcomes such as employee well-being and performance. Also, they indicate the existence of moderators and mediators in the relationship between green office building solutions and well-being/performance. Directions for future research and the implications for practice considering different stakeholders interested in implementing green building solutions, adopting energy-saving measures in offices, and improving employees' functioning are suggested.
Highlights
Maintaining the current pace of energy consumption in office buildings to ensure users’ comfort can have catastrophic outcomes for natural systems and society (Marchal et al, 2011)
The results showed that the users of office buildings expressed acceptance of pre-established thermal conditions, even though the thermal prediction index, indicated that these thermal conditions were not comfortable
They suggest that decoupling could be slightly more effective in maintaining or increasing office users’ well-being and performance in the case of sustainable solutions applied to thermal and lighting conditions, compared to general energy-saving sustainable interventions in office buildings
Summary
Maintaining the current pace of energy consumption in office buildings to ensure users’ comfort can have catastrophic outcomes for natural systems and society (Marchal et al, 2011). Energy efficiency has become a perennial issue for contemporary organizations. It can be understood as the ratio of performance output (e.g., thermal comfort) to energy input (Erbach, 2015), or in other words, “getting the most out of every unit of energy you buy” Among the heaviest consumers of energy are office buildings, ranging from 100 to 1,000 kWh/m2 per year in Europe (Dubois and Blomsterberg, 2011). Comparative study on 20 Subjective visual subjects in two comfort energy-efficient lighting scenarios.
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