Although weather predictions for the upcoming week are unseasonably high with possible temperatures reaching the upper 70s and lower 80s, the air conditioning will not be turned on in North Campus buildings.

‘We just want to give people a heads up as to why the buildings may not have air conditioning on demand because of the very time and labor intensive process to bring chilled water into the various North Campus buildings,’ said Will Wallak, public relations coordinator for the Energy Systems and Sustainability Management Department at Syracuse University.

Students received an email from the department Monday informing them that turning on the air conditioning this early in the spring semester is not a possibility, but the department will be taking other actions in an attempt to cool certain buildings.

Wallak explained that upon turning on the air conditioning, the chilled water necessary to create the cooling takes several days to get started and filter into underground coils used to create the cool air.

Although the weather is unusually warm right now, Wallak said, the possibility of temperatures dropping again could cause residual water in the cooling system to freeze and rupture the coils, causing serious damage.

Usually the air conditioning process is ready to begin by May 1, Wallak said. The department has moved the date up this year to start the cooling systems by April 15.

For now, Wallak said, the department is going to try and keep the buildings as cool as possible for as long as possible each day.

To do this, certain buildings will be pre-cooled using the university’s automated ventilation system to allow cold air into the buildings at night, Wallak said. The air will circulate through the buildings and cool the interiors, so the buildings may feel less warm when they open in the morning. As outdoor temperatures rise during the day, the indoor temperature will increase as well.

Officials are looking to do this in buildings that get particularly warm during the day, Wallace said.

Newhouse III is one building that will undergo the temporary cooling process. This is because the wall of windows located on the building’s west side trap the heat from the afternoon sun. By cooling the building throughout the night and early morning, it is hoped the building will stay cooler longer as the day goes on, Wallak said.

Wallak said he is unsure of exactly how many buildings the department will be attempting to cool using their ventilation systems. Quite a few have the systems, he said, and he anticipates all buildings with the capabilities will be alternatively cooled.

North Campus buildings with ventilation systems are mainly academic, Wallak said. Residence halls do not apply, as there are no building-wide ventilation systems to control the individual rooms.

This year’s air conditioning issue is rare, as possibilities of great fluctuations in temperatures are uncommon, Wallak said. The warm weather so early in March puts the department in a ‘sticky situation,’ he said.

rebarill@syr.edu 

Published on March 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm