[whtrbt]

We use a kotatsu [0] for this - a table with a heating element underneath and a thick quilted 'tablecloth'. I'm in Melbourne, so the lowest it gets is a few degrees above 0C, but we _never_ use air con/heating. Summer we close the blinds in the day, open blinds and windows up at night.

It's not fair to expect that approach to work for everyone everywhere, but there are plenty that could do this instead of wasting so much energy on creating a homogenous environment year round.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotatsu

[almog]

I've been thinking about converting my work desk to a Kotatsu in the winter based on an Arduino project I've found sometime ago. At the moment though I'm using an infrared incandescent bulb mounted just above my keyboard + a floor heating sheet mounted to a piece of plywood for my feet.

btw, the Arduino project is this one: https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/simp-team/how-to-make-a...

[ryanianian]

I keep my wfh office around 70f but my desk is right by a huge window, so my hands get very cold when it's freezing outside, making typing and desk-work annoying.

I got a little heated desk/writing pad online, and it is amazing.

With it turned to high it becomes almost too warm to touch. The mouse and keyboard heat comfortably. After a couple hours I can reduce the room temp a few degrees and still feel rather comfortable.

[goodpoint]

A microcontroller is extremely unnecessary for a kotatsu. You just need a thermostat.

[baud147258]

> that could do this instead of wasting so much energy on creating a homogenous environment year round.

The worse is when the office aircons are set so low that you catch a cold in the middle of the summer heatwave...

[ryanianian]

Cold temperatures do not make infectious diseases like colds more transmissible.

[baud147258]

pedant. So I should have said that my persistent and year-round cold got severely aggravated by the rapid switch in temperature and low temperature in the office, causing an important increase in both frequency and strength of coughing, sore throat, nasal congestion and heavily runny nose. Happy?