The Diamond, one of the 3 main university libraries may be looking to cease its 24/7 availability as a response to the University of Sheffield’s journey towards achieving net zero.
Over the easter break, the diamond was operating on a temporary basis, open daily from 7 till 12 am.
This forms part of a two week pilot to measure energy savings, as part of the University’s continued sustainability work.
The University said: “As we continue our journey to achieve net zero, we will be exploring different ways to reduce energy consumption while minimizing the impact on students and staff. We will share the results from the test period after it takes place.
Regardless of the results, the Diamond will remain open 24/7 in the lead up to, and during, exam and assessment periods.”
Why was the diamond temporarily closed between 12 and 7 am?
According to the university’s data, between midnight and 7 am the diamond has a very low occupancy rate with only 209 people scanning and accessing facilities through the barriers on level 1.
This translates to roughly 2.14% of the building’s total daily users, who consume 23.3% of the day’s energy.
| Number of hours | Percentage of a 24 hour period | Percentage of energy consumption | Number of entries* into the Diamond | Percentage of entries | |
| Core Hours (08:00-18:00) | 10 | 41.66% | 38.30% | 7,487 | 76.79% |
| Extended Core Hours (07:00-08:00 and 18:00-00:00) | 7 | 29.17% | 38.40% | 2,054 | 21.07% |
| Out Of Hours (00:00–07:00) | 7 | 29.17% | 23.30% | 209 | 2.14% |
| Total | 24 | 100% | 100% | 9,750 | 100% |
*Entries are the number of people swiping through the barriers on level one. This might therefore include students who have swiped out and then back in, but also does not include the lecture theatres and workrooms on the lower levels which can hold almost 1,700 people when fully occupied.
The Diamond is one of our campus’s newest and most energy-efficient buildings, yet like any large model, it uses a lot of energy to run. For instance, the Diamond has a lot of energy-hungry machinery and a lot of heated spaces.
Thousands of students and employees utilize the Diamond during the day for study, research, facilities, and socializing. During the day Diamond is said to be operating on an ‘energy-efficient’ level as it serves a large portion of our community.
The Diamond building as a whole does, however, remain open at night for a small number of individuals who could alternatively be accommodated in another 24/7 building, such as the IC.
Many students have expressed their disappointment regarding the possibility of reduced opening timings. The diamond is a social and educational hub for all, being home to media facilities, podcast rooms, the IForge, and study spaces. As a result, several students prefer to work at odd hours of the night as they are said to be more productive and free from other extracurricular commitments.
If you have any feedback as part of this test closure period, you can share these with the university directly via their dedicated Google Form.
The University adds, “Through a test period during the Easter holidays, we’re aiming to measure the energy savings from closing the building. The test period will also measure financial savings, which would be reinvested in decarbonization across campus in the future.
We hope to reduce the impact on students as much as possible, which is why the pilot takes place during this limited window during the Easter holidays. If you are affected by the closure period, please let us know by sharing your feedback.
As a result of the test period, we hope to combine student feedback with data insights to determine whether we should amend the opening hours of the Diamond in the future.”
The Information Commons is said to remain a 24/7 library hub as normal.