Cooling and heating in campus buildings

In most buildings on campus, advanced air handling systems with sustainable heating and cooling provide comfort in the working environment. These systems are set and controlled centrally. The set temperature is adjusted to the average needs of users but that does not mean that you cannot influence it yourself.

To ensure that the climate system works efficiently and maximises your comfort in the working environment, it is important to know how the system works and what you yourself can do to create a pleasant indoor climate.  

Standard settings

Each room is continuously supplied with conditioned air all year round via mechanical ventilation. On cold days (in winter), you can expect a temperature of 19 ºC. In summer, when the outside temperature is 21 ºC or higher, the cooling system automatically switches on as soon as the temperature in the room reaches 24 ºC or higher.

Adjustment options

In some buildings, you can easily adjust the temperature in a room via the thermostat on the wall. This ‘individual room control’, measures the temperature in the room. Using the buttons on the thermostat, you can adjust the set temperature up to a maximum of 1.5°C higher or lower. However, it may take some time before the adjustment is noticeable.

  • Want it slightly cooler? 
    Set to -1°C and more cold air is blown in when it gets warmer than 23°C (instead of the set 24°C).
  • Do you prefer it slightly warmer? 
    Set to +1°C and more warm air is blown in when it gets colder than 20°C (instead of the set 19°C).

Central heating

Heating via radiators or underfloor heating is also centrally controlled. The room temperature is set to 19°C and for an average, stable room temperature, the radiator knob is set to position 3.  

Cooling

Automatic cooling only works in summer, when it is 21 ºC or warmer outside. At an indoor temperature of 24ºC, cooling switches on automatically. The central system can cool a room by about 4ºC to 8ºC compared to the outside temperature. For example, if it is 33ºC outside, an indoor temperature of 25ºC is achievable, it doesn't get any cooler. On extremely hot days, not all rooms may reach the desired coolness.

To keep the heat out as much as possible, leave the blinds down before the sun shines in. Is it warmer outside than inside? Keep the windows closed to keep the heat out. Can't manage to keep the space cool? Then choose a cooler workplace in another (part of the) building.

Buildings without air treatment / mechanical ventilation

Some older buildings are not (yet) connected to the campus' sustainable Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (wko). Therefore, in TvA1, Transitorium, Huize Heyendael, Soeterbeeck, Oud Heyendael, UBC, Yellow kite Nursery and Greenhouse complex, cooling is only available in a few rooms.

Extremely hot or cold days

In extreme heat or cold, it is not possible to achieve a comfortable indoor climate in all buildings. In older buildings without mechanical ventilation or less good insulation, cooling or heating costs too much energy. Not only is this very expensive because of the high energy costs, but it is also not in line with our sustainable business practices in terms of energy and climate.  

In case of extreme heat, insufficient cooling capacity is available for both process cooling (servers and laboratories) and cooling of office spaces. The cooling of critical business processes or laboratories then takes priority over the cooling of the office environment.

In extreme cold or hot days, the recommendations below apply.

Extremely coldExtremely hot
  • Keep windows and doors closed
  • Find a warmer place on campus, or work at home if the workplace on campus is too uncomfortable.
  • Wear warm clothes.
  • Stay indoors as much as possible.
  • Pay attention to each other.
  • Keep windows and doors closed.
  • Use blinds.
  • Drink sufficiently.
  • Find a cooler place on campus or work at home if the workplace on campus is too uncomfortable.
  • Limit physical exertion.
  • Stay out of the sun as much as possible.
  • Pay attention to each other.

Malfunction

Is a room too cold or too hot and the above operating guidelines have no effect? If so, there may be a malfunction.

Report it to the Service Centre using the form on the website: defects in and around buildings. 

Vragen?

Do you have questions about cooling or heating in buildings? If so, contact the Service Centre. 

+31 24 36 3 33 33