May 8, 2023 Collin Colleges Plano Campus will be closed to the public from May 15-29 for upgrades to its electrical systems. The work is a continuation of improvement projects at the campus that will provide cost savings, allow for greater temperature control, and improve the comfort and safety for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
During the shutdown, functions like registration and advising will shift to the college districts other campuses. More information on a campus near you is available at www.collin.edu/campuses.
The safety and comfort of our students and employees are paramount at the Plano Campus, and ongoing improvements like these are creating the best environment possible for learning, Dr. Mary Barnes-Tilley, the campus provost, said. This temporary closure is unfortunate but necessary while work is being done to the campuss electrical system.
The campuss main power will be shut down while emergency backup power is upgraded, adding additional power to the police dispatch area, IT system rooms throughout the campus, some science labs, and the Cougar Caf kitchen. The project also provides for the connection of a temporary roll-up generator to power the backup system if the building generator is damaged or becomes inoperable.
Many improvements to the campus were completed in the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters while the campus was fully occupied, including replacing 29 air handlers, 10 exhaust fans, and many of the complexs electrical panels, as well as making necessary reroutes of ductwork to ensure the best use of the system.
These new air handlers use an Air-Side Economizer function to use temperate air below 60 degrees directly from outside to cool the building without having to run the chillers, cooling towers, and pumps, producing measurable savings throughout the fall and winter. The air handlers also feature Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), replacing multiple units that ran at constant speeds. Energy savings are expected by reducing fan speed when less air is needed during lower occupancy or more moderate ambient temperatures.
Air quality was improved by providing additional filters, UV lights in all air handlers, replacing retrofitted UV and Bi-Polar Ionizers installed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the addition of airflow monitoring stations. Temperature control was improved with more boiler heating and pumping capacity in the central plant and additional heating coils in some air handlers.
Collin Collegeserves more than 57,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visitwww.collin.edu.