"Chasing the Peak" initiative root of the Pulse's temporary shut down

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, the Pulse was closed at 7:30 p.m. due to humidity concerns and water pooling on the floor, according to the official McMaster Pulse Twitter.

According to Debbie Marinoff, the Manager of Recreational Services, “We shut down the Pulse for safety reasons due to condensation that developed on floors, walls and equipment. A number of factors contributed to the condensation - the extreme humidity and heat, high participant volume as well as the university following a ‘Chasing the Peak Initiative’ which resulted in the air conditioning and circulation being shut down for several hours.”

McMaster participates in a consumption reduction campaign called the McMaster Chasing the Peak Initiative, where Facility Services reduces consumption during the peak hours of noon to 8 p.m. Ventilation is shut off in most buildings on campus, and the temperature of those buildings rely on the occupant load. A few buildings on campus are unaffected by this initiative, such as MDCL, the Nuclear Research Building, and the Life Sciences Building.

This initiative does not interfere with studies that require a certain climate and should have no effect on research of this kind. While inconvenient, this initiative was incredibly successful last year, when it both saved enough electricity demand of 6,080 homes and saved McMaster $2.5 million.

As of this morning, the Pulse has returned to its normal fall semester hours.