International House sweeps battle in residential housing
The University of Chicago residence hall International House has won the Autumn 2025 ENERGY STAR® Battle of the Buildings competition to conserve water and energy in residential housing that took place October 14–28.
Strategic efforts to conserve water gained momentum at I-House, bringing an impressive 30.3% reduction measured midway through the competition to a record-setting 54.1% reduction at battle’s close. They also led the reduction of energy usage with a 3.9% decrease relative to their own baseline.
Twice a year in a collective show of support for lowering campus emissions thousands of students take action to conserve. The other competitors included: Burton-Judson Courts, Campus North Residential Commons, Max Palevsky Residential Commons, Renee Granville-Grossman, and Snell-Hitchcock. View the contest results.
Awards plaques made from a felled campus Sugar Leaf Maple will be presented to the students in I-House. These sustainable challenge trophies were crafted by students, faculty, and staff of six campus units, and will remain in I-House until new winners are declared in spring.
“I’d like to congratulate International House for not only maintaining their lead from the mid-competition reading but also nearly doubling their water reduction in the process!” said Kevin Keating, the campus energy and utilities manager who calculated the conservation totals. “This consistently shows how possible it is to maintain reductions and lower overall usage.”
Winning strategies
Students initiated conversations to encourage each other to unplug appliances, use task lighting, and revise their morning and night routines to save water. Signage that suggests easy lifestyle changes also drove engagement.
“I believe we all encourage our students to be great caretakers of our most precious resources,” said Michelle Hoereth, Resident Head of Thompson House. “We make a conscious effort to conserve when and where we can and that is important to all of us.”
“We have students who come to us asking if there is more they can do, so we are excited about the momentum and commitment to sustainable practices,” she said.
Shorey House Resident Head Natasha Gorbacheva said, “We try to teach our residents to be mindful about their everyday choices—small changes can make a big difference in the long run. For example, we encourage students to bring their own mug, plate, and fork/spoon when we host study breaks. This way, we don’t have to use disposable cups and plates, which helps reduce waste dramatically.”
Twenty-two peer-elected undergraduate Sustainability Ambassadors led education on conservation in the residence halls and promoted conservation as a part of dorm culture.
Collectively changing our carbon footprint
“Participation in Battle of the Buildings shows an individual’s actions can impact campus emissions and contribute to the collective effort required for meaningful savings,” said Maureen McMahon of The Office of Sustainability.
“Engagement at this scale was supported by many University staff, especially the building engineers who provided verifiable data, and galvanized by motivated students, making it a cross-campus endeavor,” she said. “Congratulations to the students of Booth, Breckenridge, Phoenix, Shorey, and Thompson Houses. You proved I-House is capable of shifting our carbon footprint!”
The battle to get students to enact behavioral changes is part of a nationwide Department of Energy ENERGY STAR® campaign. The University is among the only schools with the designation ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Continued Excellence.
Students who are interested in conservation tips can view the poster What Students Can Do To Save Water and Energy.