During the previous months, we have been discussing the serious financial challenges the campus community faces. In those discussions, you have continually indicated the necessity of decreasing campus overhead costs so that the maximum amount of funds can be directed towards the critical missions of the campus. Since utility costs are a large portion of campus overhead costs, successful programs that decrease campus expenditures on utilities are a critical component of efforts to reduce campus overhead costs. With the cooperation of the campus community, the financial impact can be large and sustainable.

As you know, the campus spends a significant amount on the purchase of utilities every year. Dramatic escalations in the costs paid by utility providers for fuels, in addition to the high costs associated with the requirements for additional pollution control mechanisms, are the reasons for increased utility provider costs that get passed long to utility customers like IUPUI. In addition, the campus has been blessed with new facilities that have added, and are continuing to add, much needed square footage to the campus. However, this additional space, which of course, must be heated and cooled, has exacerbated an already serious campus utility budget problem. Though the energy management efforts of Campus Facility Services have actually resulted in less energy being required to operate each square foot on campus, the aforementioned has, in this last year, and will be in future years, drastically increased the costs of campus utilities. Most unfortunately, these increases come at a time when the campus resources are much decreased.

In recognition of these difficulties, more aggressive efforts to control campus utility consumption are necessary. One of the efforts to reduce energy usage that is commonly used in many, many university, business, and other institutional settings is the regulation of temperature set points such that less heat is called for by thermostats in the winter, and less cooling is called for by thermostats in the summer. In fact, many people use similar strategies in their homes as they seek to save on residential utility bills. At IUPUI, this will mean that temperatures in classrooms, offices, hallways, lounges, vestibules, and general rooms, excluding, of course, environmentally controlled research areas, will be set at 76 in the summer and 70 in the winter months. Efforts to regulate temperature according to these guidelines have already begun in areas of buildings where temperature control can be done electronically through the building automation system. Since temperatures cannot be controlled electronically in many campus buildings, other mechanism will be developed for keeping locally controlled thermostats at the same temperature. In the meantime, it is critical that you and other members of the campus community participate by proactively setting, and leaving set, thermostats at 76 degrees in the summer and 70 degrees in the winter.

Since the definition of "comfortable" varies greatly from individual to individual, some of you will find that you are too warm with this summer temperature setting in place. It is understood that some individuals may even feel that they need to bring a fan from home to help cool their work space. (Fans use much less energy than the commercial cooling systems that are used in campus buildings.) Others may find that dressing in light weight clothing is helpful for coping with increased temperatures in building spaces. Your cooperation with these efforts is critical to their success. And, although these temperatures may not be ideal for all, these small adjustments provide the campus, and in turn your unit, the opportunity for significant cost avoidance.

Thank you in advance for helping the facility management staff realize the savings for the campus that can be associated with this initiative. This summer, if your space is at a temperature greater than 76, please use the normal trouble reporting process of calling 278-1900 and a Customer Service Agent will assist you. If, in very special situations, a temperature of 76 degrees creates an environment that interferes with research, please call John Kamman, Campus Energy Engineer, directly at 278-4868. Campus Facility Services will be providing guidelines later this summer regarding the aforementioned winter set point.

cc: Charles Bantz, Chancellor
Uday Sukhatme, Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties
Trudy Banta, Vice Chancellor for Planning & Institutional Management
Kody Varahramyan, Vice Chancellor for Research and Associate Vice President for Research
Amy Warner, Assistant Vice Chancellor for External Affairs
Karen Whitney, Vice Chancellor for Student Life & Diversity
Emily Wren, Associate Vice Chancellor, Campus Facility Services