CW Harris Elementary
K-12 School in Washington, DC, DC · 301 53RD STREET SE · 20019
At a glance
CW Harris Elementary is a 56,000-square-foot K-12 school at 301 53RD STREET SE in Washington, DC, built in 1964. In its 2018 Washington, DC benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 33 out of 100 (grade D), a site energy-use intensity of 72.8 kBtu/ft² and 334 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions. That score is higher than 38% of the 304 scored K-12 school buildings in Washington, DC.
Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS · reporting year 2018
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 33 (band D) |
| Site EUI | 72.8 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 140.2 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 334 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | 6.0 kgCO₂e/ft² |
| Electricity | 251,809 kWh |
| Natural gas | 11,043 therms |
| Gross floor area | 56,000 sq ft |
| Source record | dc:PM3411337:2018 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018latest | 33 | +1 | 72.8 kBtu/ft² | 334 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 32 | -15 | 68.0 kBtu/ft² | 326 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 47 | +7 | 67.0 kBtu/ft² | 315 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 40 | +5 | 69.0 kBtu/ft² | 313 tCO₂e |
| 2014 | 35 | +5 | 71.3 kBtu/ft² | 301 tCO₂e |
| 2013 | 30 | 76.7 kBtu/ft² | 317 tCO₂e | |
| 2012 | — | — | — |
Compliance context
Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS
DC's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) require buildings below the performance standard to improve over compliance cycles (the first ends December 31, 2026; later cycles run five years), with penalties for buildings that fail to meet their pathway.
Ownership
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES
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Location
- Address
- 301 53RD STREET SE
- City
- Washington, DC
- State
- District of Columbia
- ZIP
- 20019
- Coordinates
- 38.88361, -76.92612
Within ~1 km
Nearby benchmarked buildings
K-12 School · 310,975 sq ft
Multifamily Housing · 176,180 sq ft
- Hampton Apartments Eastscore 100
Multifamily Housing · 109,256 sq ft
- Carver Senior Apartmentsscore —
Multifamily Housing · 92,209 sq ft
- Carver Senior Apartmentsscore 66
Multifamily Housing · 90,094 sq ft
- C.W. Harris Elementary Schoolscore 53
K-12 School · 84,054 sq ft
See also: most efficient in Washington, DC · biggest emitters
How does CW Harris Elementary compare with other K-12 school buildings in Washington, DC?
The latest disclosures cover 333 K-12 school buildings in Washington, DC, out of 6,870 buildings citywide. CW Harris Elementary's ENERGY STAR score of 33 compares with an average of 44 across the 304 that report a score; it scores higher than 38% of them and lower than 59%. Its site EUI of 72.8 kBtu/ft² is about 14% above the average of 64.1 kBtu/ft² — it uses more energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 6.0 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 25% above the group average of 4.8 kgCO₂e/ft².
At 56,000 sq ft, it is about half of the average floor area of 105,946 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1964, 15 years later than the group's average year built (1949). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 6,548 K-12 school buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 64 and a site EUI of 52.7 kBtu/ft².
How has CW Harris Elementary's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 7 Washington, DC disclosures for CW Harris Elementary, covering report years 2012–2018. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 30 in 2013 to 33 in 2018 (+3 points); its best year on file was 2016, at 47. Site EUI moved from 76.7 kBtu/ft² (2013) to 72.8 kBtu/ft² (2018), a 5% decrease. Reported emissions went from 317 tCO₂e to 334 tCO₂e over the same span (up 5%).
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 33 mean?
ENERGY STAR scores run from 1 to 100 and are computed by the EPA's Portfolio Manager as a percentile against similar buildings nationwide, adjusted for climate, size and use: a score of 33 means the building performs better than about 33% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 33 falls in band D — lowest band (1–54). It sits 42 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Washington, DC, 47% of scored buildings are at 75 or above.
Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. CW Harris Elementary's 72.8 kBtu/ft² across 56,000 sq ft works out to about 4.1 billion Btu (1,195 MWh-equivalent) in 2018. Its source EUI of 140.2 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 251,809 kWh of electricity and 11,043 therms of natural gas for the year.
Which law requires CW Harris Elementary to report its energy use?
CW Harris Elementary reports under the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS, the legal basis of Washington, DC's Building Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2018 disclosure (source record dc:PM3411337:2018). DC's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) require buildings below the performance standard to improve over compliance cycles (the first ends December 31, 2026; later cycles run five years), with penalties for buildings that fail to meet their pathway.
More K-12 school buildings in Washington, DC
- Cleveland Elementary School· 55,000 sq ft · score 6 (D)
- Brent Elementary School· 54,726 sq ft · score 45 (D)
- Rocketship Legacy Prep· 53,429 sq ft · score 63 (C)
- Rocketship Legacy Prep· 53,429 sq ft · score 56 (C)
- Ideal· 53,395 sq ft · score 11 (D)
- Washington International School - Primary· 53,234 sq ft · score 34 (D)
- K-12 School buildings in Washington, DC· 333 benchmarked
- All Washington, DC benchmarked buildings· Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS
- Most efficient large buildings in Washington, DC
- Least efficient large buildings in Washington, DC
- Biggest emitters in Washington, DC
Frequently asked questions
What is CW Harris Elementary's energy grade?
CW Harris Elementary scores 33 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band D, lowest band (1–54) — in its 2018 Washington, DC disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does CW Harris Elementary use?
Its 2018 site energy-use intensity was 72.8 kBtu/ft² (140.2 kBtu/ft² source) across 56,000 sq ft, including 251,809 kWh of electricity and 11,043 therms of natural gas.
What are CW Harris Elementary's carbon emissions?
CW Harris Elementary reported 334 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions (6.0 kgCO₂e/ft²) for 2018.
Where is CW Harris Elementary?
CW Harris Elementary is at 301 53RD STREET SE, in Washington, DC 20019. Its coordinates are 38.88361, -76.92612 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Building Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is CW Harris Elementary and when was it built?
CW Harris Elementary has 56,000 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2018 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1964 as its year built. It is classed as K-12 school.
Is CW Harris Elementary covered by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS?
Yes — it appears in the 2018 Building Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS.
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About this data
Source: Building Energy Benchmarking (Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS), as published July 9, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “CW Harris Elementary, Washington, DC — 2018 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/washington-dc/cw-harris-elementary-f733d617 (data as of July 9, 2026).