To reduce energy costs over the winter interim period between its fall and spring semesters, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will adjust the way campus thermostats are programmed.

The changes are in response to limited student and faculty activity on campus as instruction for the fall and spring three-week sessions (Nov. 30 to Dec. 18, and Jan. 4-22, respectively) shifts to remote access only. Additional thermostat adjustments for the university’s annual holiday break, which is Dec. 24 to Jan. 3, are listed below.

During the two three-week sessions, thermostats will be programed to:

• drift as low as 55 degrees overnight, as usual.
• automatically warm to 65 degrees on weekday mornings and hold this temperature if no occupant is present.
• allow for when an occupant enters a room during daytime, the temperature can be adjusted. They should press any thermostat button until the display starts to blink (about one second).
• begin a three-hour period of normal operation after the button is pressed and the room will warm to a preferred temperature in 10 to 20 minutes with normal fresh-air ventilation; increasing the set temperature will not warm a room faster.
• after three hours, if an occupant is still working, they should press the thermostat button again.

Exceptions to these settings include:

• any room not set back overnight or on weekends will operate normally.
• laboratories, research, animal rooms and all designated critical spaces will never transition to reduced heating or cooling.
• rooms with pneumatic or line-voltage thermostats cannot be reprogrammed and will operate normally.

During the holiday break (Dec. 24 to Jan. 3) most campus buildings will be closed and room temperatures will float within a wide range (down to 55 degrees) at all times. The thermostat button procedure offered during the two three-week sessions will not work during the holiday break. This is the same procedure followed annually.

If a thermostat button does not respond or if an occupant is having difficulty, call 402-472-1550 during regular business hours or send email to energy@unl.edu for assistance.