Impact Story

Setting the Green Standard for Student Housing at George Washington University

First year college students gather in their community spaces to cook, play card games, and get a last-minute study session in for tomorrow’s midterm. It’s a normal day at George Washington University’s (GWU) Thurston Hall. Behind the scenes, though, energy efficiency upgrades make the building sound with improved air quality and LED lighting to set the tone for community gatherings.

Thurston Hall, a 100-year-old residential building that is typically home to 1100 first-year George Washington University students, recently went through a complete renovation. Energy Efficiency upgrades were a must for the building to support GWU’s sustainability goals, according to Seth Weinshel, GWU’s Associate Vice President of Business who also oversees housing and dining. “We wanted the building to support community, so we converted this really old building into something modern.”

With the support of incentives from the DCSEU in 2022, Thurston Hall is expected to save 510 MWh of electricity in its first year of re-opening thanks to LED lighting, heat pump water heaters, and space conditioning heat pumps. The heat pumps will also save more than 59,000 therms, allowing GWU to take a large step toward reducing its reliance on gas. DCSEU also incentivized Thurston Hall’s new rooftop solar system, which will generate 122 MWh annually and further reduce energy costs. The projected energy savings helped the building reach LEED silver status, increase natural lighting, improve air quality, and reduce moisture levels to provide a healthy environment for students to live.

“We wanted to make sure that we can comply with other requirements such as Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)” said Mikel Solupe Energy Manager at GWU. The four-year renovation project persisted even as the pandemic and supply chain issues disrupted construction and forced the team to get creative to keep the project on track. “The pandemic forced a recalibration in priorities for everyone,” according to Josh Lasky, GWU’s Director of Sustainability. As buildings across the District faced the pandemic, it forced building owners and managers to consider occupant health and well-being. “One of the things that we wanted to make sure we did in this building was control the environment well to help with moisture levels and air quality,” said Weinshel.

The technical assistance and financial incentives from the DCSEU have helped GWUs Thurston Hall become an energy-efficient home for first-year students while contributing to GWU’s and the District’s clean energy and climate goals. The DCSEU’s support also provides some peace of mind as property owners and managers like GWU consider upgrades. 

“Programs that the DCSEU has put together plus the technical assistance and the experience that they bring to the table as a support structure that's publicly available is huge,” said Lasky. “Getting additional perspectives from a group like DCSEU provides a little bit of assurance and confidence that we're heading in the right direction.”

As the team makes additional plans to upgrade lighting and HVAC systems around GWU’s campus, providing students a safe, healthy, and efficient environment remains the goal.