Campus Life

Holiday heat reduction program to begin end of day on Dec. 22

Once again this year, Penn State is aggressively pursuing the reduction of energy use over the holiday break in accordance with Administrative Policy AD64. Temperatures in many University facilities will be reduced to conserve energy, generate savings, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the University. This initiative also helps the University meet its commitment to the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge of reducing energy usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years.

Faculty and staff may use buildings over the holiday break, but indoor temperatures can be expected to be at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and ventilation systems will be off.

At University Park, special requests for exceptions to this procedure will be considered under the following guidelines and must be received prior to Tuesday, Dec. 13:

  •  Requests will be reviewed only for facilities serving the general public and in laboratories where research projects could be compromised by the temperature setback.
  •  Such exception requests, specifying dates and time of day, must be endorsed by the cognizant Dean or Administrative Officer and forwarded to the responsible Facility Coordinator.
  •  The Facility Coordinator will forward requests to Clayton Powers at the Office of Physical Plant.

At locations other than University Park, the campus executive officer or administrative officer will determine the extent of the setback program, review requests for exceptions, and render decisions locally.

The official holiday break will be from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, 2017, inclusive. It is expected that building occupancy during this period will be minimal. At University Park, space temperatures will be set downward at the close of business on Thursday, Dec. 22, and will be restored to normal operating temperature by Tuesday morning, Jan. 3, 2017.

Energy costs for University Park will exceed $25 million this year. The holiday heat reduction program at University Park has averaged about $225,000 in savings per year. Faculty and staff cooperation in helping to reduce the University's energy expenditures and supporting Penn State's environmental stewardship initiatives during the holiday recess is greatly appreciated.

Further information can be found on the OPP web site at http://www.opp.psu.edu/.

Last Updated December 5, 2016

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