Improvement Project
Building Energy System Optimization (BESO) Program
The Building Energy System Optimization (BESO) Program will be a campus wide initiative to upgrade facilities inside the buildings and make them more efficient. Starting with the North-East Quad, the program will continue with improving the Medical Center, then the Central Campus, and finally, the Central Plant and surrounding buildings.
Arrupe-Reiss
Construction Timeline:
September 2023 – April 2024
Impacted Facilities:
Arrupe Hall, Reiss Hall
Impacted Systems:
Air conditioning, domestic hot water
Primary Benefits:
Efficiency/sustainability, reliability
Arrupe Hall will be the location for Georgetown’s first heat recovery chiller, the “workhorse” in the effort to reduce building energy use. It does this by efficiently creating chilled water for air conditioning, and then sending the byproduct heat into the hot water system. This waste heat is typically vented into the atmosphere via cooling towers, but Georgetown will make use of it to heat its residential facilities, reducing the building’s energy consumption by over 40%. It will also support the Henle Redevelopment project’s HVAC needs. Reiss will be disconnected from steam and the heat will be provided via hot water from Arrupe. Controls of the HVAC systems will also be upgraded, which will improve comfort while generating savings.
Expected Construction Impacts
Hot water piping will be installed between September 2023 and February 2024. The most disruptive construction work – including installation of new equipment and a temporary domestic hot water outage – will take place mid-October.
Work will primarily take place in the basement mechanical rooms of Arrupe and Reiss during the hours of 7 am to 5 pm. Any ‘noisy’ work will be scheduled in advance with building occupants and take place after 9 am.
Any impacts to the building’s HVAC will be communicated through PFM liaisons.
New Research Building,
Basic Science (Med Center)
Construction Timeline:
December 2023 – June 2024
Impacted Facilities:
New Research Building, Basic Science Building
Impacted Systems:
Air conditioning and heating, ventilation, domestic hot water
Primary Benefits:
Efficiency/sustainability, comfort, reliability
Georgetown’s second heat recovery chiller will be placed in the New Research Building at the Georgetown University Medical Center. This ultra-high efficiency cooling/heating equipment will take advantage of the reduced load enabled by Variable Air Volume (VAV) box controls. These controls will improve occupant thermal comfort, and permit the system to modulate the cooling/heating and airflow needs, based on occupancy. Smart Hoods will be installed in prioritized labs to reduce the airflow and generate savings, while improving safety and comfort in these critical areas. Together, these technologies will take the first steps toward reducing the Medical Center’s energy consumption over 40%. The Medical Center and the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital are the most energy intensive locations on campus making this work essential to achieve Georgetown’s carbon reduction goals.
Expected Construction Impacts
Controls on the existing VAV boxes will be upgraded, while new occupancy sensors will be installed in every room of the New Research Building between November 2023 and April 2024. Please reach out to your facilities contacts to learn more – and possibly adjust the timing.
On the Basic Science Building’s First Floor, the installation and commissioning of the Smart Hoods will happen between November 2023 and February 2024. The most disruptive construction work will be taking place between November and December 2023. Please reach out to your facilities contacts to learn more – and possibly adjust the timing.
In Preclinical Science Building and Med-Dent, new VAV boxes and occupancy sensors will be installed during the Summer 2024, while occupancy is reduced.
Installation of the interconnecting piping and the heat recovery chiller will start during the fall 2024.
Any ‘noisy’ work will be scheduled in advance with building occupants with the intent to minimize the impact to normal Medical Center operations.
Darnall Hall & St. Mary’s Hall
Construction Timeline:
Completion November 2023
Impacted Facilities:
Darnall Hall, St. Mary’s Hall
Impacted Systems:
Air conditioning, domestic hot water
Primary Benefits:
Efficiency/sustainability, reliability
Darnall Hall had its steam heating system replaced with a high-efficiency hot water system in summer 2023. Both Darnall Hall and St. Mary’s Hall have received new heat exchangers, hot water piping and controls, which will help reduce energy consumption by more than 40%. Smart Hoods will be installed in Epicurean to adapt the airflow to the kitchen’s needs.
Project Questions?
Reach out to your departmental manager or planning and facilities management liaison. We look forward to reducing Georgetown’s carbon footprint with you!