Watch for Energy Conservation Action Day announcements on days with extreme temperatures, humidity

Summer is heating up, and the campus community can play a key role in saving energy, keeping indoor spaces comfortable and ensuring utility services run well. Purdue Administrative Operations is asking faculty, staff and students to take action when the forecast calls for extreme temperatures and high humidity. 

During the hottest and most humid summer days, the increased demand for chilled water and electricity puts a strain on the university’s utility systems. To mitigate the impact, Administrative Operations invests in additional utilities capacity during the warmer months. However, on days with extreme temperatures and humidity, campus demand can still exceed this capacity, resulting in warmer buildings and less efficient operations.

To combat excessive energy consumption and to keep campus buildings cool and operating at peak efficiency, Administrative Operations will declare Energy Conservation Action Days when specific actions are necessary from the campus community. 

Faculty, staff and students are strongly encouraged to take the actions listed below to help the university save energy, keep spaces comfortable and ensure our campus utilities are running smoothly. These actions are especially important when Energy Conservation Action Days are declared:

• If possible, consider rescheduling research activities for cooler parts of the day or different days of the week.
• Close fume hood sashes completely when not in use to reduce the amount of conditioned air that’s exhausted.
• If you can adjust the thermostat in your space, increase it by a few degrees to reduce air conditioning demand. 
• Close windows, blinds and doors to prevent heat from entering.
• Turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied to reduce electricity use and eliminate any heat given off by the bulbs. 
• Turn off and unplug any unused equipment/devices to reduce electricity use.
• Eliminate or reduce indoor heat sources including autoclaves, lasers and ovens, especially during the hottest hours of the day.

Energy Conservation Action Days will be communicated to the campus community via a direct email from the Purdue News Service. For more information on this initiative, please contact Eric Butt, senior director of Environmental Health and Safety, at embutt@purdue.edu.

Additionally, the National Center for Environmental Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides tips to avoid heat-related illness on its website.