Hot Tips and Cold Facts About Marianopolis’ AC
Winter is in full swing, but many Marianopolites haven’t forgotten the school’s odd temperatures last semester. This article attempts to address a question on many lips during August and September: “What’s up with the air conditioning?”.
A surprising heatwave lingered on Montreal at the start of September. Inside Marianopolis, the relief provided by the air conditioning quickly became too refreshing. “I was wearing sweaters in August,” says one student. In contrast, those eager to get active in the gymnasium were confronted with warm, lethargy-inducing facilities.
I spoke with Alex Polkki, the college’s Health, Safety and Athletics Coordinator in the Physical Resources Department, to get insight into these challenges. First, I wanted to get a wider perspective on the air conditioning system. As part of a “huge” HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) project that ran from 2018 to 2021, air conditioning was installed in all wings of the school. A “state of the art” BAS (building automatic system) is now responsible for adjustments, but Mr Polkki mentions that technicians also monitor the system.
The cold temperatures experienced in the schools during the September heatwave can seemingly be explained by the functionality of the system, as more cold air is pumped in to reach targets when it is humid outside. Mr Polkki explains: “The HVAC is designed to cover 85% of conditions, like in any building in Quebec. […] Some extreme temperatures may not be in the system’s parameters.”
A few weeks later, I met with Mr Polkki a second time to further discuss issues with the gymnasium. He first refutes rumors on malfunctioning ventilation: “It’s actually the AC that stopped working.” In other words, there had been air exchange, but no cooling. “The gym system was installed when the college moved to this location in 2007, so has been approaching its end-of-life,” he assured me. Planning for repairs is currently underway, but they will only start in the absence of students during the summer. Currently, a process he calls “free air” cools the gym using the cold air outside.
Anticipating heat in April and May, I inquired about the physical education classes and activities held in the gym at the end of the semester. According to Mr Polkki, his department is collaborating with the physical education department to find alternatives. Furthermore, finals will likely occur in classrooms once again, as the body heat of hundreds of students in the gymnasium makes air conditioning necessary no matter the season.
While my conversations with Mr Polkki elucidated why many factors could not be controlled, the ever-increasing climate disturbances should serve as impetus for reflection. This is especially crucial considering the environmental cost of air conditioning. Can we make the existing HVAC system more reliant on technicians to avoid excessive cooling? And will the new system installed in the gym be better adapted to extreme temperatures? Time, or temperature, will tell.
