Since the first semester of operation for Griffin Hall in Aug. 2011, students, faculty and staff of Northern Kentucky University’s College of Informatics continue to experience unexplained issues within the state-of-the-art construction.
Prolonged problems with lighting, air conditioning and classroom equipment prove that no matter how innovative the technology, no campus building is perfect. These unresolved issues within the ground-breaking building—which was designed for LEED certification—have occupants questioning, “Just how ‘green’ is Griffin?”
NKU Associate Director of Architecture, Design and Management Rob Knarr said he has received a number of complaints about lights turning on and off randomly. He also got reports of one room experiencing extremely warm temperatures at various times throughout the semester.
Communication studies professor Russ Proctor’s concern for the lingering lighting issues in faculty offices caused him to submit a letter of grievance to Knarr’s department. Proctor said the main issue is that the overhead lights in the perimeter offices on the fourth floor “stay on all the time.”
“I will turn them off and when I come back after class, they’re back on,” Proctor said. “When I come in at eight or nine in the morning, they’ve been on all night.”
Proctor is not the only professor frustrated by Griffin’s electrical glitches. He said some of his colleagues frequently have lights come on or off during their lectures and are unable to adjust them.
The lighting issue also effects classroom time. Mollie Ralenkotter, a junior public relations major, said she experiences lighting issues regularly during her communications class on the second floor.
“We were watching a movie and all the lights came on,” Ralenkotter said. The professor was unable to adjust the settings and “after about 15 minutes they shut off, but by then the movie was pretty much over.”
Knarr responded to Proctor’s letter stating that a list of issues was sent to the contractor of the building in “hopes they could solve the mystery.” According to Knarr, the electrical contractor has been reviewing the lighting control system programming to try and pinpoint the problem, but it is an ongoing effort.
“Some system components were replaced over the holiday break to address and repair the air conditioning issues,” Knarr said.
So how ‘green’ really is Griffin? According to Larry Blake, associate vice president of Facilities Management, Griffin Hall “is roughly twice as efficient as the Student Union.” Although the Student Union is “a few hundred square feet larger,” they are the most comparable when it comes to electrical costs. Blake said powering the Student Union costs 86 cents per square foot, while Griffin Hall requires only 45 cents per square foot.
Blake said between July 2010 and July 2011, NKU spent roughly $2 million on electricity for Griffin. The combined utility budget for electricity, air conditioning, heat, water, natural gas etc., is currently set on a three-year plan at $5 million.
“LED lights make a big difference,” Blake said. “They save a lot of energy.”
However, lighting may not be the biggest concern. According to Blake, computers and technology in Griffin consume significantly more power than that of the lights. It’s just as important that computers and classroom equipment are shut off at the end of every day.
For a building geared toward being environmentally friendly, those who frequent Griffin are simply concerned that it is not currently operating at full potential.
“I’m mostly worried about the waste of energy,” Proctor said. “I’m worried about, what does it cost us to have this place lit up like a Christmas tree all weekend long?”
According to Knarr, when construction on a new building finalizes at NKU, there is a “punch list” of defective or unfinished items for the contractor to inspect. He said by submitting this list to the contractor within Griffin’s first year of operation is “a normal part of the construction process.” The costs for addressing and completing the items are being handled by Griffin’s contractor.
“We are working diligently to complete the remaining items as quick as possible,” Knarr said.
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