Sacramento State’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are taking a refresher course in energy management and control starting next month.

In partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and U.S. Department of Energy, the Smart Grid project is in the initial phase of replacing controls on seven buildings, said Paul Serafimidis, assistant director of Energy and HVAC Systems.

“We’re going to do the whole campus in phases, but eventually it will all be done,” Serafimidis said.

Serafimidis said Facilities Services and the Central Plant are fully behind sustainability efforts. The Smart Grid partnership was entered to create clean technology jobs in the capitol region and serve as a collaborative learning project.

“There is a learning curve. We have a good crew here that has technical comprehension – they pick up the new stuff very well,” Serafimidis said. “Most of our main repair work is done with in-house staff.”

Serafimidis said many buildings on campus are old and keep his team busy, but replacement equipment is budgeted for as much as possible.

“With a campus of this size, there are millions of square footage to maintain,” Serafimidis said.

The following buildings are among the first to be updated: Library II South, Library I North, Amador Hall, Riverside Hall, Mendocino Hall, Eureka Hall, Mariposa Hall and the Central Plant.

On-campus savings are projected to total more than $400,000, according to a Smart Grid project presentation released by Facilities Services Director Linda Hafar.

The report estimated the project’s budget at more than $8.5 million, which includes nearly $6 million for the energy management and control systems upgrades for 40 buildings on campus.

“Every day we have service calls,” Serafimidis said. “There are hundreds of pieces of equipment around campus, each building has air handling and valves we have to make sure are functioning properly.”

There are always complaints, Serafimidis said, some of which require only a thermostat adjustment.

Despite the recent fires in Mariposa and Mendocino halls, Serafimidis said HVAC systems in the buildings were not impacted.

“Everything is being done to clean out the buildings,” Serafimidis said. “The HVAC systems in the two affected buildings have been adjusted to ventilate air, while the unit’s filters are being swapped and duct work is getting cleaned.”

Serafimidis said a lot of material has been ripped out since smoke gets into everything.

Family and Consumer Sciences Professor Minjeong Kang said she does wonder why energy is wasted maintaining colder temperatures than is necessary while Sac State budget cuts require a wiser use of resources. Mariposa Hall feels cold all year long, she said.

Temperatures in campus buildings are set remotely via a central computer system, Serafimidis said, citing a CSU policy that requires a range of 68 to 78 degrees.

“Typically, we try to keep a consistent, tight temperature throughout the year,” Serafimidis said.

Kang said she thinks the campus does a better job of preserving energy in the winter, when faculty in Mariposa keep portable floor heaters in their office due to a lack of warm air.

“Eighty degrees is fine – I feel great up to that temperature,” Kang said. “I like to feel warm, but for some people, that may feel uncomfortable.”

Kang said students often complain about classroom temperatures and bring their own long-sleeved jackets throughout the year.

Angela Ortiz, freshman kinesiology major, lives on campus and feels that the temperatures need to be set higher everywhere on campus, especially in the residence halls.

“It’s too cold. If I found the air conditioning (control) I would break it,” Ortiz said. “Especially in the bathrooms – it is always so cold in there.”

Ortiz said the air conditioning should be turned off altogether and windows kept open until the heat can be turned on for winter.

Alex Oko, freshman biochemistry major, also lives on campus and said he thinks the temperature in the residence halls is related to a slew of recent illnesses, including his own.

“My room is really cold and I have been sick a lot lately,” Oko said. “I’m never in my dorm because of the air.”

Poul Larsen can be reached at [email protected]