Energy

The Energy Department is part of the Physical Plant Department. There are two distinct parts of this service that share the same common goal, which is to efficiently utilize and maintain energy systems on campus. The department consists of electricians, stationery engineers, and HVAC technicians/mechanics.

The duties of the Energy Department are to provide for the maintenance and repair of building heating and electrical systems and equipment. This includes scheduling of heating and cooling of campus spaces, and repair and maintenance of boilers, chillers, pumps, switchgear and life safety systems. In addition to preventive maintenance, the department also has performed predictive maintenance on the college’s electrical distribution systems.

The duties of the Energy Department include the following:

  • Installation of new electrical service for existing spaces.
  • Repair and maintenance of existing electrical systems.
  • Repair and maintenance of campus life safety systems.
  • Adjusting, repairing and efficiently operating boilers.
  • Adjusting, repairing and efficiently operating chillers and other cooling systems.
  • Scheduling heating and cooling of campus spaces, utilizing the campus EMS system.

These duties are simplified but give a general idea of the variety of services provided by our organization. We are committed to serve the needs of the campus and appreciate your support in identifying items of concern or possible safety issues.

Campus Heating Policy

The Energy Department is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the heating systems on campus. The department shall have all heating systems working and ready to be initiated by Sept. 15 of each year.

When heating season is reached, areas will be scheduled as follows:

  • Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, classrooms will be scheduled for heating.
  • Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, office spaces will be scheduled for heating.
  • The Marvin Library shall be scheduled for heating, one hour prior to its posted opening and one hour after its posted closing.
  • Campus heating systems shall be scheduled off during college holidays. Prior to returning from Thanksgiving vacation, the systems will be brought back up at 12 p.m. the following Sunday. Those areas with events occurring shall be scheduled per the college’s Event Management System (EMS) or through a request to the Physical Plant.

Campus heating systems shall be set to maintain a setpoint of 68 degrees Fahrenheit in all occupied spaces. During unoccupied periods, outside air dampers shall be closed and the setpoint shall be 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures shall be measured at desktop level out of the way of any airflows. If a system is not able to satisfactorily maintain setpoint, space heaters will be allowed. All space heaters on campus must be approved by Physical Plant and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety due to safety considerations. Areas not normally occupied will be scheduled through EMS. If an event is not listed in EMS, contact the Physical Plant at least three business days prior to the event to schedule the heating systems.

If there are any problems or you witness energy being wasted on campus, please contact the Physical Plant at (518) 629-7356 or submit a work order.

Campus Air Conditioning Policy

The Energy Department is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the air conditioning systems on campus. The department shall have all air conditioning systems working and ready to be initiated by April 15 of each year.

When the cooling season is reached, areas will be scheduled as follows:

  • Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, classrooms will be scheduled for air conditioning.
  • Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, office spaces will be scheduled for air conditioning.
  • The Marvin Library shall be scheduled for air conditioning, one hour prior to its posted opening and one hour after its posted closing.
  • Campus air conditioning systems shall be scheduled off during college holidays. Those areas with events occurring shall be scheduled per the college’s Event Management System (EMS) or through a request to the Physical Plant. The systems shall be powered up at 12 hours prior to a return from an extended vacation period.
  • The main computer room in Higbee Hall is excluded from this policy.

Campus air conditioning systems shall be set to maintain a setpoint of 76 degrees Fahrenheit in all occupied spaces. Some campus buildings are capable of using free cooling (economizer mode). The use of economizer will be maximized to reduce the amount of energy consumed. The buildings with economizer mode are: the Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Siek Campus Center, and portions of the Fitzgibbons Health Technologies Center, and Williams Hall, and Marvin Library. During unoccupied periods, outside air dampers shall be closed and the setpoint shall be 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures shall be measured at desktop level, out of the way of any airflows. Areas not normally occupied will be scheduled through EMS. If an event is not listed in EMS, contact the Physical Plant at least three business days prior to the event to schedule the air conditioning systems.

Window air conditioning units on campus shall be removed no later than Oct. 31 of each year.

If there are any problems or you witness energy being wasted on campus, please contact the Physical Plant at (518) 629-7356 or submit a work order.