Energy-Saving Temperature Setbacks

Why pay to heat or cool an unoccupied building? NC State sets back the temperature controls in strategic campus buildings to save energy.

Utility costs are among NC State’s largest expenses, and university holidays present strategic opportunities to save energy. In select campus buildings, air conditioning or heating levels are reduced so that the university is not paying to heat or cool unoccupied spaces (research areas and other critical spaces are excluded from this initiative). When unoccupied, indoor temperatures will be allowed to increase up to 80ºF (in months that require air conditioning) or decrease as low as 55ºF (in months that require heating). These energy-saving settings, which already occur in evenings and on weekends, are scheduled to automatically adjust so that normal building temperatures are restored before the building reopens. This effort is coordinated by departments with NC State Energy Systems, including Energy Management, Building Maintenance and Operations and the University Sustainability Office.

Fall Semester Temperature Setbacks

The university is closed on Monday, Sept. 4. Because many buildings will be unoccupied, Energy Systems will extend the weekend air conditioning schedule to include Labor Day. This means that offices and classrooms will feel hotter than normal. Laboratory spaces will not be affected.

If anyone in an office or classroom space on Monday, Sept. 4 is uncomfortable with the temperature, use your building’s temperature override button, which will restore the normal operating temperature for a few hours. If there is a planned campus meeting, class or event/conference on Monday, Sept. 4, please submit a request to the Facilities Service Center (919.515.2991) and we will ensure those rooms(s) operate at normal temperatures. If there are any other questions or concerns please send an email to save-energy@ncsu.edu or call the Service Center and your question/concern will be directed to the appropriate person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are labs or critical server rooms impacted?

Some teaching labs will be impacted, but labs designated for research are excluded from temperature setbacks. Rooms with critical servers requiring precise climate control will also not be impacted.

I will be in my building during a scheduled temperature setback. What do I do?

There are two options for overriding the temperature setback. First, the facilities liaison for your building can submit a work order 48 hours prior so that the temperature schedule can be modified in advance. This is preferable if you have an event, conference or meeting scheduled in a building (note that during the winter holiday break, these exemption requests must go through an approval process). Many buildings also have a wall-mounted override switch, which will allow for a one-time override of the building’s energy-saving schedule. This should restore normal operating temperatures for a few hours. One switch is located on each floor and is identified by a gray sign (see photo).

Why was my building chosen to be part of this energy saving initiative?

Some of the university’s buildings have been equipped with sophisticated temperature controls that allow the air conditioning levels to be adjusted remotely and scheduled in advance. Buildings with this capability are part of this energy-saving initiative. During winter holiday break, temperature setbacks extend to buildings that lack these advanced controls.

Why do some buildings just have classrooms impacted and other buildings are impacted as a whole?

Some campus buildings are equipped with special zoning equipment that allows temperature levels to be adjusted in just classrooms while keeping surrounding offices, labs and lobby areas at normal operating temperatures. In those buildings, the temperatures in unoccupied classrooms might be setback beginning at, for example, 2 p.m. even though the entire building isn’t setback until 5 p.m.