Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are used to maintain comfort in campus buildings. Conditions are managed through centralized environmental controls that are monitored by building maintenance personnel and Central Energy Plant operators. More information related to environmental controls as optimization, please review the Energy Plant Operations tab on the Facilities Management website.
The majority of the buildings on campus are heated with steam or hot water. Both systems generally work by circulating water or steam through each building. In most cases building occupants have the ability to adjust thermostats in personal offices and living spaces. Occupied building spaces like classrooms, offices, labs, conference rooms, housing and dining spaces are kept at a comfortable temperature, generally in the range of 65 to 72 degrees. Variations in temperature can occur due to a variety of factors including weather, computers/servers/equipment, and like weather, the number of occupants in a given space, and computers or other equipment that may be generating heat.
In all cases, comfort cooling is a low priority when compared to critical operations on campus. Examples of critical operations include, but are not limited to the following:
- Research and Dining Services refrigeration equipment
- Research equipment that utilizes refrigerant or that is temperature sensitive
- Information Technology infrastructure such as computers and server rooms
- Laboratory operations and chemical storage
- Chemical management and safety procedures
- Safety and security functions
Reactive maintenance to refrigeration and cooling systems will be addressed by maintenance staff on a first come, first served basis, unless otherwise prioritized as outlined above. Requesting departments will generally be responsible for costs associated with repair and maintenance of departmental equipment; this includes departments funded by the General Fund that own personal/office cooling equipment such as portable air conditioners.
Maintenance staff transitions environmental controls from heating to cooling on a seasonal basis. As a result, abnormally warm or cold weather in the spring and fall can negatively impact comfort; making the building too warm or too cold. Transition to the cooling season is weather dependent, but typically begins when overnight temperatures are consistently above freezing.
If a teaching, research, or living space becomes uncomfortably warm or cool and does not return to a comfortable temperature within a reasonable time, please submit a work request. Often the problem can be corrected with an adjustment of a thermostat or other control device. Work requests will typically be reviewed by department staff within 24 hours.