Can a Bank Stay Cool Without Wasting Energy?
Walk into a bank on a busy weekday afternoon.
The doors swing-open every few seconds. Customers walk in and out. Security staff stay alert. Cashiers sit behind glass enclosures, processing transactions without a pause.
Yet, despite a fully air-conditioned space, the bank floor often feels unevenly cooled. Some areas feel comfortable, while others feel surprisingly warm especially near the counters. It isn’t the stress of handling cash, it is the air’s curbed candour.
Most of us have felt it. Few of us know why.
Keeping high-footfall spaces like banks cool, comfortable, and energy-efficient at the same time is far from simple. A significant amount of cooling is lost at the entrance, while critical areas like cashier cabins often do not receive enough cooling at all.
This is where HVAC design for banking environments becomes very different from that of conventional office buildings.
At Qpro, we were appointed as the MEP consultant for a prestigious financial institution operating from a G +12 commercial building. Our scope covered ten floors, including both high-side and low-side HVAC (VRF System) responsibilities. The project offered valuable insight into how small, thoughtful design decisions can significantly improve comfort, system performance, and energy efficiency. Sustainability remains our priority.
Why Banks Are Not “Just Another Office”
In the first glance, a bank may appear similar to any other commercial space — desks, computers, people, and air-conditioning. But operationally, banks function very differently.
Unlike typical offices, banks experience:
Frequent door openings throughout the day
Cashier cabins enclosed largely in glass
Long operating hours with minimal downtime
Each of these factors have a direct impact on how effectively an HVAC system performs.
The Hidden Cost of Open Doors
Every time a bank’s main door opens, something invisible but costly happens. Valuable chilled air escapes, and warm outdoor air enters. The HVAC system then works harder to restore the desired indoor conditions.
When this happens occasionally, the impact is minor. When it happens hundreds of times a day, the result is unavoidable:
Increased cooling load
Higher energy consumption
Reduced system efficiency over time
Uncomfortable cooling experience
In most buildings, this loss goes unnoticed. Energy bills rise quietly, and HVAC systems are blamed—when the real issue lies in improper execution and installation, not in capacity.
The Cashier Cabin Problem
Another common challenge sits behind the counters.
Cashiers typically work inside glass-enclosed cabins. While these enclosures offer security and visibility, they unintentionally create thermal discomfort.
Glass traps heat
Air movement is restricted
Heat from people and equipment builds up
Even when the banking hall feels reasonably comfortable, cashier cabins often feel warmer, stuffier, and more fatiguing for staff—directly affecting comfort and productivity.
Designing the Right Way:
A common response to these issues is oversizing the HVAC system or adding more cooling capacity. While this may offer short-term relief, it increases energy consumption without addressing the root causes and a long-term solution.
At Qpro, the focus was on, targeted interventions, small – precise design decisions that deliver outsized results.
Solution 1: Curtail the Loss at Entry Points
Air curtains were installed above the main entrance doors.
This creates an invisible layer of air that separates indoor and outdoor environments, even when doors remain open.
The benefits are immediate:
Significantly reduced loss of conditioned air
Lower heat infiltration from outside
While maintaining a smooth, uninterrupted movement for customers and staff. Most importantly, the HVAC system no longer has to “recover” after every door cycle.
Solution 2: Smarter Cooling for Cashier
Instead of overcooling the entire banking hall, cooling was delivered exactly where it was needed.
The approach included:
Small, directional supply air vents aimed directly into cashier cabins
Proper size of return air openings to remove stale air and maintain circulation
Ceiling fans to enhance air movement and eliminate heat pockets
This combination ensured comfortable conditions inside enclosed spaces without increasing overall energy demand.
Comfort for People, Efficiency for Systems:
What makes these solutions effective is their simplicity.
No complex automation.
No unnecessary equipment.
Just a clear understanding of how people use the space and how air behaves within it.
The result is an environment where:
Customers feel comfortable the moment they enter
Staff can work long hours without thermal fatigue
HVAC systems operate efficiently instead of constantly compensating for design gaps
Energy consumption is reduced without compromising comfort
The Bigger Lesson:
This project reinforces an important principle in HVAC outcomes; design can make or break the HVAC efficiency.
In high-footfall spaces like banks, success lies not in overengineering, but in anticipating real-world behavior—opening doors, moving people, and enclosed workspaces.
When HVAC systems are designed with these realities in mind, they quietly do their job in the background—keeping people comfortable and costs under control. And that is where true engineering value lies.
Good HVAC design is rarely noticed.
Bad HVAC design is impossible to ignore.