Our Game-Changing Partnership with ENGIE

Hey Hoyas, ever wonder what keeps our campus powered and moving toward a more sustainable future? Georgetown has teamed up with ENGIE, a global leader in sustainable energy, to manage our energy infrastructure for the next 50 years (yes, half a century!). ENGIE’s impressive track record in reducing energy consumption worldwide is now supporting Georgetown’s efforts right here on the Hilltop and Capital Campuses.

So, what’s the big picture? In 2021, Georgetown launched a long-term partnership with Georgetown Energy Partners, including ENGIE and Axium Infrastructure. Our goal? To boost energy efficiency 35% by 2030—a major step toward shrinking our carbon footprint.

What does ENGIE do?

ENGIE operates Georgetown’s Central Utility Plant, which powers the heating and cooling systems across the entire Hilltop campus and MedStar hospital buildings. They’re the ones ensuring our buildings stay comfortable, no matter the season.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Chilled Water: ENGIE’s plant produces around 51 million ton-hours of chilled water annually using 7 industrial chillers, accounting for about a third of the Hilltop Campus’s electricity usage. Chilled water provides cooling to buildings and is separate from cold water at the tap.
  2. Steam: The plant also generates about 550 million pounds of steam each year through 4 boilers, using approximately 725,000 MMBtu of natural gas—that’s enough to heat 13,000 average American homes! Steam provides radiant heating and dehumidification to buildings by heating air that passes over the steam piping and removing moisture from cool air.

But it’s not just about heating and cooling buildings. ENGIE is also helping Georgetown modernize its infrastructure on both the Hilltop and Capital Campuses, from upgrading utility networks to exploring on-campus renewable energy options. We’re serious about reducing energy use and making a real impact on sustainability. Learn about more projects on the Georgetown Energy Partnership website here or read about them on the Georgetown Engineering and Utilities blog page here.

How does it work?

The Georgetown Energy Partnership is made up of three main teams: the Utility Plant Operations team, the Capital Projects team, and the Energy Program team.

  • Operations Team: This team manages the daily operation of the utility plant, distributing steam (provides building heating and medical equipment sterilization) and chilled water (for building cooling) through a network of pipelines on the Hilltop Campus. You can learn more by joining one of our plant tours, where you’ll explore the site with hard hats and safety glasses. Sign up for a plant tour here.
  • Capital Projects Team: This team focuses on replacing and upgrading our utility systems with more sustainable solutions. For example, the Healy Lawn project replaces existing utilities and converts steam systems in affected buildings with hot water systems.=. By 2027, a third of the Hilltop Campus will switch from steam to hot water, which is  more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Learn more about the Healy Lawn project and steam to hot water conversion here.
  • Energy Program Team: This team improves the efficiency of our existing systems. Projects completed by this team have installed over 70,000 LED bulbs across both the Hilltop and Capital Campuses and added smart thermostats in the South West Quad residence halls for occupancy-based heating and cooling. Find out more about energy efficiency projects here.