2008 Woodie Awards
As gas prices rise, university looks to curb energy costs
By Sam Cohen
Issue date: 11/19/07 Section: News
With oil prices rising above $95 per barrel last week, the University of Maine is looking for ways to conserve oil, electricity and money this winter by installing thermostats in dorms across campus.
"A lot of heat is regulated by opening the window, and this prevents that from happening," Gordon Nelson, director of Property Management, said.
The thermostats have been installed in nine of the 19 residence halls on campus. The school has replaced zone systems in which a single sensor in a designated room dictates the temperature for the entire zone, which can consist of up to 25 rooms.
According to Bill Lovejoy, UMaine energy and utility manager, the system will save money due to students being less likely to leave their windows open because the thermostats allow for more control over the temperature of their room. The thermostats enable Facilities Management to monitor temperatures of each room and regulate them as well. This allows them to lower temperatures to 55 degrees over breaks when the buildings are empty.
"This saves $600 per dorm, per week," Lovejoy said.
The thermostats have not been getting such successful reviews from students. Jeff Black, a third-year history major and Stodder resident, does not use his. "I don't think it works. I never touch it. Heat or no heat, I'll live. If I get too cold, I'll just put on a shirt. If I get too hot, I get naked," he said.
Greta Leber, a third-year marine biology major and resident assistant of Oak Hall, is not happy with the radiators in her building. The radiators have dials ranging from one to six. "It's horrible," she said. "You set the dial on a certain number, and it comes on randomly during the day. I usually set it on six because anything lower makes it clank."
Two years ago, Leber lived in Stodder Hall and "never had any problems" with the thermostat.
Tom Nisbet, who graduated in 2006 with a degree in computer science, suggested to current students, "The best thing you can do is turn the heat on and open your window … I think it should be all digital like any house. It should give you the number of the current temperature onscreen."
"A lot of heat is regulated by opening the window, and this prevents that from happening," Gordon Nelson, director of Property Management, said.
The thermostats have been installed in nine of the 19 residence halls on campus. The school has replaced zone systems in which a single sensor in a designated room dictates the temperature for the entire zone, which can consist of up to 25 rooms.
According to Bill Lovejoy, UMaine energy and utility manager, the system will save money due to students being less likely to leave their windows open because the thermostats allow for more control over the temperature of their room. The thermostats enable Facilities Management to monitor temperatures of each room and regulate them as well. This allows them to lower temperatures to 55 degrees over breaks when the buildings are empty.
"This saves $600 per dorm, per week," Lovejoy said.
The thermostats have not been getting such successful reviews from students. Jeff Black, a third-year history major and Stodder resident, does not use his. "I don't think it works. I never touch it. Heat or no heat, I'll live. If I get too cold, I'll just put on a shirt. If I get too hot, I get naked," he said.
Greta Leber, a third-year marine biology major and resident assistant of Oak Hall, is not happy with the radiators in her building. The radiators have dials ranging from one to six. "It's horrible," she said. "You set the dial on a certain number, and it comes on randomly during the day. I usually set it on six because anything lower makes it clank."
Two years ago, Leber lived in Stodder Hall and "never had any problems" with the thermostat.
Tom Nisbet, who graduated in 2006 with a degree in computer science, suggested to current students, "The best thing you can do is turn the heat on and open your window … I think it should be all digital like any house. It should give you the number of the current temperature onscreen."
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Jeff Black
Jeff Black
posted 11/24/07 @ 2:55 PM EST
OMG THATS ME IN THE ARTICLE YEAH! LOOK ME UP ON FACEBOOK IM HOT!
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