Poor indoor climates at an office are a drag on anyone’s focus and comfort. And in the era of hybrid working, companies can’t afford to drive employees away from their office buildings. Today, there’s an easy way to optimize indoor climates to attract people to the office and boost occupancy. Here’s the new approach.
Office air quality impacts occupancy rates –
Indoor environment sensors tell you how
Who among us has produced our best work in dark, stuffy rooms? What about rooms with thin walls that let through kitchen chatter? Or rooms with an overwhelming smell of new furniture and dusty carpets? Unsettling spaces extinguish focus. Today, it’s more urgent than ever that offices fix this. Companies around the world face an office occupancy crisis and are asking important space utilization questions to manage their office buildings. But if companies want to attract employees to their offices, they must create inviting environments that give employees an ideal working experience.
Is your office air driving people away?
What can you do about it? If your company wants to create an office environment that people not only enjoy but also thrive in, you must start with an honest evaluation of your true situation. This means identifying critical indoor climate issues for your workplaces.
That’s where smart sensors come in. They can make this process nearly automatic for you. Today, there are several types of sensors that can measure the data points you need, like indoor environmental quality (IEQ) sensors or indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors.
The data points that matter the most to improving the indoor climate of your offices include:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- CO2
- Light levels
- Sound levels
- Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
- Radon
IEQ sensors play a key role in creating healthier, more comfortable workplaces. By tracking critical factors like air quality, temperature, humidity, lighting, and noise, they help companies optimize the indoor environment—supporting both well-being and productivity.
Unlock a healthier indoor climate with smart sensors
Once you have installed your indoor climate sensors or air quality monitors, and collected your data, you’re halfway there. But to make a real difference and turn your office into a more pleasant and productive place, you must also understand and apply your indoor climate metrics. Here are three ideas.
How to track and improve office indoor climat
Indoor climate sensors are perfectly paired with smart office occupancy sensors. Especially if these sensors are truly real-time. These will tell you not only when meeting rooms and workspaces are in use, but also for exactly how long. Combining this information with your indoor climate metrics can reveal hidden patterns. For example, you may notice a connection between certain poorly utilized rooms and elevated sound levels. By following best practices for workplace analytics, you can start optimizing your office using this data.
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) sensors
IEQ sensors play a key role in creating healthier, more comfortable workplaces. By tracking critical factors like air quality, temperature, humidity, lighting, and noise, they help companies optimize the indoor environment—supporting both well-being and productivity.
What IEQ Sensors Monitor:
- Air Quality: Levels of CO₂, fine particles (PM2.5/PM10), VOCs, and other airborne contaminants.
- Thermal Comfort: Indoor temperature and humidity conditions.
- Lighting: Intensity, glare control, and natural daylight presence.
- Sound environment: Overall noise and acoustic comfort.
- Extra metrics: Advanced models may also capture data on ergonomics, electromagnetic exposure, and water quality.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors
IAQ sensors help create healthier, more productive workplaces by continuously tracking the conditions of indoor environments. They measure key parameters—such as temperature, humidity, CO₂, VOCs, and particulate matter (PM)—to detect issues like poor ventilation, elevated pollutant levels, or thermal discomfort. With this data, companies can fine-tune HVAC systems, adjust cleaning schedules, and optimize space usage.
Examples of what IAQ sensors monitor:
- CO₂ monitoring – Detects rising carbon dioxide levels, signaling when ventilation needs improvement.
- Particulate Matter Tracking – Identifies harmful fine dust (PM2.5/PM10) that can impact respiratory health.
- VOC detection – Monitors chemical emissions from furniture, cleaning agents, or office equipment.
- Temperature & Humidity Control – Ensures thermal comfort and prevents conditions that encourage mold growth.
- Actionable insights – Provides real-time data to adjust HVAC performance and maintain a healthier environment.
Use your climate metrics. Boost office occupancy
Once you have installed your indoor climate sensors or air quality monitors, and collected your data, you’re halfway there. But to make a real difference and turn your office into a more pleasant and productive place, you must also understand and apply your indoor climate metrics. Here are three ideas:
Analyze: Identify trends and spot patterns in your office climate
Indoor climate sensors are perfectly paired with smart office occupancy sensors. Especially if these sensors deliver true real-time data. These will tell you not only when meeting rooms and workspaces are in use, but also for exactly how long. Combining this information with your indoor climate metrics can reveal hidden patterns. For example, you may notice a connection between certain poorly utilized rooms and elevated sound levels. By following best practices for workplace analytics, you can start optimizing your office with this data.
Empower: Helping employees make better workday choices
Sharing real-time office climate data with employees can give them more power over their day. An employee might prefer certain environments to work in most. If they have immediate access to information about the climate in different workspaces, they can make the right choice and opt for the most suitable one. For instance, they can book a meeting room with the best air quality for their next meeting.
Automate: Smart control for energy reduction and potential saving
If your facility has the smart infrastructure, your office may be able to integrate real-time climate sensor data to automate lighting, temperature, or ventilation systems. Not only is this an effortless way to create an optimal working environment, but it saves costs and energy along the way.
