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Energy and the Pandemic

In 2020, Washington and Lee University underwent a profound and unexpected experiment in energy use: On March 13, the university transitioned temporarily to virtual instruction because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most students vacated their campus residences. Many employees began to work from home, and instruction for the remainder of Winter Term and Spring Term took place online. On-campus events were canceled, and the university grounds emptied out.

When students and staff did return in August, the environment was reshaped by social distancing protocols and event restrictions. The university prioritized mitigating the spread of the virus by following the best available guidance on air exchanges and ventilation controls, even when that used more energy.

So what has happened to energy use on campus?

W&L used about 28% less electricity from March to December 2020 in academic and administrative buildings than it did during the same period in 2019. Though most of the savings occurred in the spring, they continued in summer and fall.

The biggest difference in academic and administrative usage came in April, when there was a 48% reduction of over 330,000 kilowatt-hours, enough to power about 375 homes for a month.

Energy use went up in Gaines Hall in August 2020.

After students returned to campus, electricity use in academic and administrative buildings remained down, but those savings were offset by increased use in areas like campus housing, where it was driven up by early move-in and increased ventilation routines. Overall campus electricity use was up in August and September.

In some parts of campus, the COVID-19 protocols that disrupted campus life and kept outbreaks under control greatly reduced electricity use. At the Lenfest Center, where powerful stage lights, sound systems and theater climate controls were less in demand, electricity use dropped drastically, even during Fall Term.

On the other hand, once students and staff returned, buildings which usually had their heating and air conditioning reduced during late-night hours ran them 24/7 in accordance with COVID-19 precautions. In some buildings, like Huntley Hall, that led to significantly more electricity use than is typical during Fall Term.

Campus housing saw some of the biggest swings. In the Village, after an 84% drop in May, electricity use increased significantly in August and dropped in November, coinciding with the semester beginning and ending earlier.

It was also up in September and October. During the semester, students in Professor of Geology Lisa Greer’s Sustainable Earth course conducted an energy survey in the Village, interviewing residents in 10 housing units and conducting energy audits. They discovered, to their surprise, that energy use in the units was tied more closely to individual choices like laundry habits and turning lights on and off than to external factors like the weather or COVID.

Overall, the pandemic has provided W&L with a fascinating experiment in energy reduction, one from which the campus is still learning. New data for staff, students and faculty to parse will be generated throughout Winter Term and Spring Term. You can take a look yourself by visiting W&L’s energy dashboard at go.wlu.edu/powertrip.