DeKALB | The cold temperatures have made the warmth of the residence halls seem much more appealing and the NIU Heating Plant has been working hard to keep them this way.

The Heating Plant heats all the major buildings on campus, including the residence halls, said Kevin Vines, chief engineer of the Heating Plant.

“The buildings not in the system are the residential-type, peripheral buildings like Pottenger House, the Women’s Resource Center, and the Convocation Center, which have their own heating plants,” he said.

The daily cost of heating the buildings is approximately $10,000 and the price is fixed due to contracts NIU has for the delivery of natural gas and electricity. This cost can become variable during extreme temperature changes.

“The price is variable because it costs more to heat or cool the buildings on extreme temperature days and less on average temperature days,” Vines said.

In extreme temperatures, the plant adjusts the set points to maintain the temperatures within the buildings, he said. When the temperatures drop below zero, additional staff are added to monitor and adjust the temperatures.

While the buildings heated by the plant do not have set temperatures due to conditions in buildings like the Art Museum and some science facilities, there is a set motto that the Heating Plant tries to maintain, Vines said.

The plant primarily uses natural gas for steam and hot water, but electricity is used for the delivery and monitoring of such items, he said.

The plant has 42 employees who work in three shifts to cover the entire day. It also has other functions besides heating the buildings.

“The Heating Plant maintains all the pumps, air handlers and cooling towers related to heating and cooling,” Vines said. “They are on the job 24/7, and are the first responders on any other of the craft calls and fire alarms.”