Campus Energy Conservation Program

You’ve Got the Power – to help Georgetown save!
Program Overview

On summer days when temperatures climb above 90 degrees, Georgetown participates in a region-wide voluntary energy curtailment program to help stabilize the power grid and avoid brownouts in the DC metro area. This effort helps our environment by reducing the need for more-polluting “peaker” power plants and helps our community by decreasing strain on our electric grid. As a major electricity customer, Georgetown’s participation in these voluntary curtailments, including the actions of our employees, can make a large contribution to these goals.
On curtailment days, Georgetown sends a notification to all faculty and staff, asking our campus community to take simple actions to save energy.
In the program’s first year, over 400 faculty and staff members made a pledge to save energy, demonstrating our community-wide commitment to energy conservation and a sustainable campus.
How You Can Contribute
On voluntary energy curtailment days, we ask university employees to take the following actions:
- Leave your windows and doors closed when the air conditioning is running
- Adjust your window blinds to let in daylight but block heat from direct sunlight
- Turn off unnecessary lighting in your office
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Put your computer to sleep and turn off your monitors when not in use
- Place your printers into low-power mode when not in use
- Share this “Top 10 Ways To Save” Poster in your office
- Put these tips into practice every day for maximum savings!
Resources for Georgetown Employees
To save energy in your office:
- Top 10 Ways to Save Energy in Your Office
- Office Energy Conservation- Poster for Print (PDF) (new window)
To save energy at home (external resources):
- ENERGY.gov Energy Saver (new window) – Details on tax breaks and other benefits of home energy efficiency
- PEPCO Conservation Tips (new window) – Tips for all four seasons
- US EPA (new window) – What You Can Do at Home
- Natural Resources Defense Council (new window) – Energy-Efficient Home Makeover