Vassar College – Smera Sera Oommen – 2025
Summary
To support the development of Vassar College’s Climate Action Plan, Smera Sera Oommen analyzed energy consumption and student comfort across nine residence halls. Her work identified infrastructure and behavioral interventions like smart radiator covers, radiator valve upgrades, and peer education programs to reduce energy use and thermal complaints. By combining submetering data, student feedback, and building audits, she proposed infrastructure changes, pilot studies, and tracking tools that pave the way for energy-efficient, student-centered living on campus.
Goals
This fellowship aimed to identify actionable building-level interventions that reduce energy consumption while enhancing student comfort in Vassar College’s nine residence halls. The project focused on understanding the root causes of overheating and underheating complaints and their impacts on health and academic performance. By integrating electric submetering data, building audits, and occupant behavior, the goal was to develop solutions that reflect both technical efficiency and occupant wellbeing, contributing directly to Vassar’s new Climate Action Plan.
Solutions
To tackle energy inefficiencies and comfort issues, the fellow proposed a comprehensive set of interventions:
1. Infrastructure Solutions
In the fall, opportunities following progress report will be starting to collect new action suggestions
Pilot installation of Cozy smart radiator covers (25% projected gas savings)
Improve floor and steam pipe insulation
Install weatherstripping and draft sealing to reduce heat loss
2. Behavioral Strategies
Launch a Heat-Champions peer program and inter-dorm energy competitions (15’20% potential electricity reduction)
Introduce weekly micro-education sessions, stickers, and posters to raise awareness
3. Research-Focused Pilots
Conduct studies on CO’-based ventilation, temperature spike detection, and window-opening behavior
Deploy real-time dashboards to display steam and electricity use with alert systems
Launch a comfort-preferences survey to support roommate matching and policy design
4. Guidelines & Tools
Develop a Holistic Building Guidelines Checklist based on LEED, WELL, and Passive House standards
Use submetering data to inform future decisions and track improvements campus-wide
Potential Impact
The project laid the groundwork for long-term energy savings and enhanced student wellbeing. The Cozy pilot is projected to reduce natural gas use by 25%, with an
11.5-year payback period. Proposed behavioral strategies could reduce dorm electricity consumption by up to 20%, while improving comfort and engagement. The integration of submetering dashboards and comfort surveys enables data-driven decisions and transparency. Most importantly, the fellowship catalyzed collaboration among students, facilities, and administrators, shifting the conversation from isolated complaints to collective solutions and long-term climate action.
