LOCATION(S):
Campus Wide – All PBSci Buildings
UTILITY TO BE SHUT DOWN:
Potential Reduction to building Cooling Water Systems
Temperature adjustments that will impact building chillers, room air conditioning, and any equipment supported by processed cooling water (PCW), affecting laboratory equipment such as mass spectrometers, chillers, lasers, ice machines, microscopes, etc.
SCHEDULED DATES:
Saturday, August 30 to Sunday, August 31, 2025
SCHEDULED TIME:
All day
REASON:
Hot and humid days are in the current National Weather Service Forecast for our area. Throughout this period, campus HVAC teams will be closely monitoring temperatures to determine if a reduction in building cooling is necessary. If PPDO determines that campus central cooling systems may not be able to meet the building and equipment demands for cooling, reductions for building cooling systems will be made – including chillers, room air handlers, and equipment cooling water/processed cooling water.
IMPACTS:
To avoid cooling system overload and possible failures, a proactive reduction in energy and equipment/room cooling usage is necessary. The Physical Plant will reduce building cooling loads per established Stage 1 reductions, as needed, by adjusting temperature set points on building chillers, room air conditioning, and on equipment cooling water affecting laboratory equipment such as mass spectrometers, chillers, lasers, ice machines, etc.
Physical Plant technicians will attempt to pre-cool buildings at night by shutting down heating systems to promote cooler building temperatures and less demand for cooling. Those working in buildings at night and early mornings can anticipate the buildings to be cooler than usual.
Should these cooling load reductions be insufficient, Stage 2 Cooling Reductions will be required. Stage 2 reductions are emergency actions and can go into effect with little notice. Stage 2 reductions would shut down most building cooling systems to preserve critical need areas and equipment. Stage 2 emergency actions would remain in effect for the hours that the system remains critically overloaded.
**Please reduce your energy and cooling loads wherever possible.
Please let us know if you have any questions.