Heating and cooling systems, otherwise known as space conditioning systems, are the biggest energy users in the majority of campus buildings. There is usually plenty of room for increasing a building's energy efficiency, from adjusting building thermostats during unoccupied hours to installing more efficient systems. Three main ways to keep heating and cooling systems from wasting energy are: regular maintenance, limiting occupied hours, and residential controls.

Maintenance

Two keys to decreasing on-campus energy consumption are keeping big energy users in good condition so they use the least amount of energy possible and making sure heating/cooling energy does not get wasted through cracks and outlets in rooms and buildings.

Maintenance Tips

• Minimize the loss of conditioned air through windows and doors. Have maintenance fix the seals around the windows of old buildings and dorms with weather stripping to help lower the school’s energy costs.
• Maintain current systems – Make sure there is a maintenance schedule for replacing filters and completing other periodic tasks to keep the systems functioning efficiently.
• Replace outdated systems - Not only can replacing old air conditioning systems save your school energy, but it can also improve the air quality of the conditioned spaces.
• Install other weatherization measures – Adding insulation to walls and attics is another way to prevent energy loss in old buildings.
• Encourage students to report leaks and other problems – Good communication between residents and maintenance is an easy way to locate energy waste. Some schools provide a hot line to maintenance for these reports.

Occupied Hours

Campus buildings are often maintained at a comfortable temperature even when unoccupied.  Energy can be saved by installing automatic thermostats that can signal the heating and cooling systems to come on just before the building is occupied, and to turn off after normal occupancy hours are over.

Residential Controls

In on-campus housing, it is more energy efficient to install individually controlled temperature regulators in rooms rather than keeping a whole dorm at one temperature (assuming students keep room temperatures reasonable). Also, many colleges still use out-dated pneumatic thermostats. The newer direct digital control (DDC) thermostats are much more energy efficient. Encourage your facilities department to use digital thermostats when installing a new heating/cooling system and look into replacing existing pneumatic controllers. It is recommended that indoor temperatures be kept as close to outdoor temperatures as possible.