Cacti and Other Iconic Desert Plants Threatened by Solar Development
Native Desert Plants Important to Indigenous Cultures Especially Vulnerable By Kat Kerlin on July 20, 2020, in Environment With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them. But large solar energy facilities are one threat that cacti weren’t built to withstand, according to a […]
Do Air Filters in HVAC Systems Offer Protection Against Coronavirus Indoors? It Depends
Do Air Filters in HVAC Systems Offer Protection Against Coronavirus Indoors? It Depends Outlet Full Name: Discover Magazine News Date: July 17, 2020 “Pistochini saw this while studying ventilation in California public school classrooms. She and her team inspected the recently-updated HVAC systems in 104 classrooms across the state and found that 51 percent were […]
Large Diameter, Shallow Bore Heat Exchangers for Ground-Source Heat Pumps
Webinar July 8, 2020 Ground-coupled heat pumps reduce cooling load in summer and heating load in winter by using the relatively constant temperature of the earth as the heat exchange medium instead of the outside air. By exchanging heat with the mild ground temperatures, ground-coupled heat pumps are more efficient than air-source designs and use […]
Energy Audit Bootcamp
Date: June 22-23, 2020 Location: Online Description: Pacific Gas & Electric will be hosting a 2-day online workshop where attendees will develop energy auditing skills. The instructor, Ryan Stroupe, will provide an overview of building technologies with an emphasis on distinguishing older, inefficient equipment from newer efficient systems. In-class exercises and mock-audit activities will allow […]
Putting Vacant Buildings to Sleep
Webinar June 16, 2020 Office and campus buildings consume a lot of electricity when nobody is in them. Why? When UC Davis experienced a 90% reduction in occupancy, electricity use only fell by 15%. When the Empire State Building was nearly 100% vacant, electricity use only fell 28%. What is using all this energy? Can […]
The Honda Smart Home at UC Davis: A Showcase of Environmental Innovation
Webinar June 11, 2020 In this webinar, Michael will provide a virtual tour and introduction to the Honda Smart Home, which showcases technologies that enable zero net energy living and transportation. After his short presentation, there will be Q&A time. The Honda Smart Home in UC Davis West Village is capable of producing more energy […]
Energy Bites – May 29, 2020
Bite 1: Electrical Performance of Distributed DC Lighting Systems–Drew Harper, California Lighting Technology Center Bite 2: Sending the Wrong Signal? Revisiting the CPUC’s Marginal GHG Emissions Assumptions–Greg Miller, Center for Water-Energy Efficiency & Energy Graduate Group Bite 3: Energy Load Shifting Strategies for Wastewater Treatment Plants–Erin Musabandesu, Center for Water-Energy Efficiency & Energy Graduate Group […]
The Path to COVID-19 Recovery–How to Improve Indoor Air Quality when Reopening K-12 Schools
Webinar May 28, 2020 Since COVID-19 could potentially be spread through the air, there is a role for building ventilation and filtration to help reduce airborne exposures to infectious aerosols. In this webinar we will review research and recommendations for improving indoor air quality in K-12 classrooms when (or prior to) reopening schools during COVID-19 […]
Kelly Kissock Appointed as New Faculty Director
May 20, 2020–The UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kelly Kissock as its new Faculty Director. The Institute accelerates the development and commercialization of sustainable energy solutions and trains future leaders in energy. Kissock’s faculty appointment is in the UC Davis Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, where […]
Energy Bites – May 22, 2020
Speaker 1: Cost-Constrained Optimization of Energy Efficiency for New Commercial Buildings – David Vernon, Western Cooling Efficiency Center Speaker 2: Why Are Fleets Buying Electric Vehicles and Why Aren’t They Buying More? – Claire Sugihara, Energy Graduate Group Watch Video
