George Washington University
IN-1: Innovation 1

GW partnered with local start-up OPower to support faculty and staff in reducing their energy use at home. GW was the first university to pilot this type of faculty and staff energy reduction competition using Opower's platform, and together the participants reduced usage equivalent to turning off a computer lab for six weeks. https://social.opower.com/pages/gw

In Fall 2012 Opower worked with GW in a partnership to reduce energy usage. Opower is a software-as-a-service company headquartered in Arlington, VA, with a goal of using data to give consumers the information they need to take control of their energy use. Since their founding in 2007, the company has grown into a business with more than 250 employees serving more than 75 utilities—-including 8 of the US's 10 largest. Opower’s platform now reaches more than 15 million homes around the world. Together with its clients and their customers, Opower is saving energy, saving money, and helping reduce carbon emissions. Faculty and staff at the George Washington University participated in a competition to see who could reduce the most energy in their homes. The GW Energy Challenge at Home encouraged GW faculty and staff to track their home electricity consumption through Opower's online social application. Faculty and staff were invited to sign up for the challenge using their personal Facebook profiles, and there was no cost to sign up. Participants then entered in their electricity consumption from their utility bills into Opower’s online platform. Faculty and staff members that reduced their energy usage the most were rewarded with prizes. GW was the first university to pilot this type of faculty and staff energy reduction competition using Opower's platform, and together the participants reduced usage equivalent to turning off a computer lab for six weeks.