Turn Down for What?

可持续性!

虽然校园里的建筑空置，但没有必要让它们满负荷运转。 从四月开始，大学设施利用这个机会关闭了我们的建筑系统以节约能源。

我们所说的“构建系统”是什么意思？

Everything that keeps the building running and comfortable for its occupants – our students, faculty, and staff. This includes heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems and lighting.

How do you “turn down” a building?

Most of the buildings on campus are controlled by a building automation system (BAS) – a centralized system/software that lets staff in Facilities control the building systems remotely. This means that they can change the settings for more efficient operation while buildings are unoccupied.

So, what are we actually doing?

Many of the lights in our buildings are connected to occupancy sensors. If the sensor doesn’t detect a person in the room, it won’t turn on. Problem solved!

Unoccupied buildings had their temperatures set back. This means decreasing the heating temperature by four (4) degrees and increasing the cooling temperature by four (4) degrees. Using these setback temperatures means that the heating and cooling won’t need to turn on as often in an unoccupied building.

There are a few buildings that are not on the BAS and don’t have occupancy sensors for the lights. These were adjusted manually by Facilities staff who conducted walk-throughs and we will continue to monitor them.

It may not seem like much, but these small efforts across many buildings can add up to significant energy savings.

Check out our Energy Dashboards to see real time usage!

Learn more about Sustainability in Facilities.

Questions? Reach out to us at sustainable-facilities@montclair.edu.