Conserve the cool, officials ask
Expecting another day of high temperatures, Physical Plant officials are asking employees to shut down equipment that generates heat as a way of maintaining comfortable building temperatures.
Shutting down computers, printers, lights and other heat-generating equipment that are not being used will help reduce the heat load on the chilled water system that cools many campus buildings.
Already, the university has shut off chilled water to some low-demand buildings this morning in order to maintain the temperature at others.
During energy crunches, the university places a priority on maintaining research and animal-care facilities and the UW Hospital and Clinics. If necessary, other UW buildings will be taken off the chilled-water system the university uses to cool its facilities to conserve energy, says John Harrod, Physical Plant director.
“We do what we have to do to protect the highest priority items,” he says.
Building off the system this morning are:
- H.C. White
- Lathrop Hall
- Red Gym
- Wendt Library
- Primate Annex Addition
- Teachers Education
- Education Science
- Middleton Medical Library (except the rare book area).
“We will be monitoring the chilled water temperature and if we need to shut off more buildings we will do so,” says Dave Coffey, a maintenance supervisor. “We will also turn building chilled water back on as soon as we can, but it will be back on to the buildings that we shut off at the end of the day.”
UW departments or facilities that want to be added to the Physical Plant’s energy-notification system should call 263-3333. Energy updates are sent through e-mail to university building managers.