Many of you have likely heard of "energy curtailment," a practice where colleagues and students are asked to help the campus by reducing energy usage on days when high heat and humidity put extra stress on our energy systems.

By using less energy on these days, we can:

For a detailed explanation, please visit the Energy Curtailment page. However, we are pleased to inform you that you should no longer feel excessively cold in your office. While it may still feel cool when you first walk in, the discomfort experienced in the past should be minimized.

In previous curtailments, many of you felt cold. It seemed counterintuitive that saving energy resulted in colder spaces during hot weather. This was because producing heat in hot conditions is inefficient, and by avoiding this, some spaces felt cooler.

Thanks to updated technology, spaces no longer need to be pre-cooled to such low temperatures to achieve energy savings. Consequently, your space will likely be warmer in the afternoon. For example, instead of finding your space at 67 degrees in the morning, it may be at 70 degrees. In the afternoon, it could rise from 72 degrees to 75 degrees.

This new approach not only mirrors what typically happens in residential settings but also aligns with your feedback. You expressed a preference for a slightly warmer environment, and we are happy to accommodate this.

The Med Center has a temperature range to maintain. Please call 2-3347 (Nebraska Medicine) or 9-4050 (UNMC) if your space is colder than 66 degrees or warmer than 78 degrees. Patient care and research spaces are not affected by energy curtailment.