Holiday Heat Reduction Program to begin end of day on Dec. 23

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State is known for its dedication to energy conservation initiatives, and a key initiative helping Penn State pursue its future energy conservation goals is the annual Holiday Heat Reduction Program. With the continued support of faculty and staff, the Holiday Heat Reduction Program has averaged annual savings of $225,000. This has proven to be a key initiative helping the University pursue its energy conservation goals. 

Over the holiday break, as stated in Penn State's Energy Conservation Policy, temperatures in many University facilities will be reduced to conserve energy, reduce emissions, and generate savings for the University. 

The official holiday break this year will be from Dec. 24 through Jan. 3, 2021. Faculty and staff may use buildings during the holiday break, but indoor temperatures can be expected to be at 50°F and ventilation systems will be off beginning at 5 p.m. Dec. 23 through the morning of Jan. 3. Please note, all buildings will remain locked during this time period, however, key and card access will continue to work for employees. It is expected that building occupancy during this period will be minimal. 

At University Park, there are opportunities for exceptions to the above schedule. Faculty and staff members who have an exception based on a business-related need are asked to submit requests using the following procedure. Requests must be received by Monday, Dec. 7.

Specify the dates and time of day for the exception — which must be endorsed by the appropriate dean or administrative officer — and forward it to the responsible facility coordinator.

Requests should indicate a specific work-related need or may be related to facilities serving the general public or for laboratories where research projects could be compromised by a temperature setback.

The facility coordinator will submit the requests to Clayton Powers in the Office of Physical Plant.

At locations other than University Park, the campus executive office or administrative officer will determine the extent of the setback program, review requests for exceptions, and render decisions locally.

Additional information about the Holiday Heat Reduction Program is available on the Office of Physical Plant website.