Explore the most recent data on Sewanee's residential building energy use

How does your dorm measure up?

Dive into a breakdown of Sewanee's residential energy use including electricity, natural gas, and carbon statistics. Explore how your dorm or theme house compares to others and how the metrics change over time using the interactive tool below. All dorms' electricity and natural gas is calculated in use per area (kWh or CCF per square foot), so the numbers reflect how your building is performing without size as a determining factor.

Where does our energy come from?

The University actively manages over 1.5 million square feet of building space. From 2014-2018 Sewanee decreased kW hour consumption by 7% even as a 7.7% increase in square footage was added. Additionally, 747,000 kW hours of renewable energy are purchased annually from TVA's Green Power Switch. A little over half of Sewanee's energy comes from renewable or nuclear power sources. 

TVA's Energy Portfolio as of 2020

TVA's Energy Portfolio

Source: TVA

Energy Conservation Tips

Lights
Electricity

Hit the lights as you head out the door. If you notice the hall lights are on late at night, turn those off as well.

Fans and Space Heaters
Electricity

Turn your box fan or space heater off when you leave the room or in the cooler months. 

Doors and Windows
Natural Gas

Leaving doors propped or windows open means energy is leaking! If your AC or heater is on, keep those doors shut. 

Unplug
Electricity

Be conscious of how much you have plugged in at once. If you aren't using your extension cord, turn it off. 

About this page

This page was created by Clare Harkins (C'23) as a part of her Senior Environment and Sustainability Capstone project. Special thanks to Sara McIntyre and Melissa Burnette for their help with this project.