Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.23
Liaison Josh Lasky
Submission Date March 5, 2020

STARS v2.2

George Washington University
OP-4: Building Operations and Maintenance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.56 / 5.00 Meghan Chapple
Director & Senior Advisor
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total floor area of existing building space:
8,711,724 Square feet

Floor area of existing building space operated and maintained in accordance with a sustainable management policy/program and/or a green building rating system:
Existing floor area
Certified at the highest achievable level under a multi-attribute, Green Building Council (GBC) rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., LEED O+M Platinum) 0 Square feet
Certified at the 2nd highest level under a 4- or 5-tier, multi-attribute, GBC rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., LEED O+M Gold) 0 Square feet
Certified at mid-level under a 3- or 5-tier, multi-attribute, GBC rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., BREEAM-In Use Very Good) 0 Square feet
Certified at a step above minimum level under a 4 -or 5–tier, multi-attribute, GBC rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., LEED O+M Silver) 0 Square feet
Certified at minimum level under a multi-attribute, GBC rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., BREEAM In-Use Pass or LEED O+M Certified) 0 Square feet
Certified at any level under a non-GBC rating system or single-attribute rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings 0 Square feet
Operated and maintained in accordance with a multi-attribute, sustainable management policy/program, but not certified under an O+M rating system 6,792,082 Square feet
Operated and maintained in accordance with a single-attribute, sustainable management policy/program, but not certified under an O+M rating system
 0 Square feet
Total 6,792,082 Square feet

Percentage of existing building space certified under a green building rating system rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings:
0

A brief description of the sustainable operations and maintenance policy/program and/or O+M rating system(s) used:

In line with LEED EB Energy and Atmosphere and Water Efficiency credits, GW's Eco-Building Program (EBP) is a sustainable O&M program. Through EBP, GW has invested more than $25 million to date to address more than 60 buildings, representing over 80 percent of GW’s square footage. Projects include retrofitting tens of thousands of lights, upgrading HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, fixing or replacing more than 2,100 toilets, 1,700 shower heads and 3,100 aerators — with plans to continue these efforts. GW prioritizes improving building energy efficiency and water efficiency and enhancing information technology systems to reduce energy and water use. As a result of these retrofits, these buildings are managed more efficiently on a day to day basis. If GW were to pursue LEED EB, GW would pursue points for "Optimize Energy Performance" (possible 20 points) and "Indoor Water Use Reduction" (possible 5 points).

In addition, GW, in partnership with Aramark, goes beyond green cleaning and embraces chemical-free cleaning. Our “blue cleaning” program seeks to reduce our carbon footprint while also decreasing the level of chemicals present in our cleaning products. Specifically, our housekeepers now clean our campuses with Orbio chemical-free cleaning products. Because our cleaning agents are chemical-free, you won’t notice the strong odors that are often associated with a clean space. Our products are safe, sustainable, and effective! More information can be found here: Go Beyond Green By Embracing Chemical-Free Cleaning


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable operations and maintenance program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Energy use in existing buildings used to make up 80 percent of the university's GHG emissions. In the first years of implementing the Climate Action Plan, GW prioritized improving building energy efficiency and enhancing IT systems that result in energy use reductions and it now makes up roughly 50% of GW's emissions.

When managing and retrofitting its buildings for sustainability, GW deals with many complexities due to the diversity of buildings. GW owns and operates more than 150 buildings on its three campuses. Some pre-date the turn of the last century, and most require historic preservation during upgrades. The sizes range from less than 10,000 square feet (historic town houses) to more than 200,000 square feet.


Energy use in existing buildings used to make up 80 percent of the university's GHG emissions. In the first years of implementing the Climate Action Plan, GW prioritized improving building energy efficiency and enhancing IT systems that result in energy use reductions and it now makes up roughly 50% of GW's emissions.

When managing and retrofitting its buildings for sustainability, GW deals with many complexities due to the diversity of buildings. GW owns and operates more than 150 buildings on its three campuses. Some pre-date the turn of the last century, and most require historic preservation during upgrades. The sizes range from less than 10,000 square feet (historic town houses) to more than 200,000 square feet.

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