On July 16, the University of California, Davis Energy Conservation Office was officially recognized for its sustainability achievements with a BREEAM certification and plaque. The Energy Conservation Office, or ECO, is the first US building to complete all three parts of the BREEAM certification. This new achievement adds to UC Davis’ accomplishments in building sustainability with three BREEAM and 16 LEED certifications to date.

BREEAM Helps Users Assess Buildings

BREEAM, or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, is the world’s first sustainability rating program for the built environment. BREEAM helps users measure and reduce the environmental impacts of their buildings through an assessment process. After a buildings’ operations are documented, points are earned by making various environmental improvements.  “BREEAM fits our approach of evaluating buildings in a comprehensive way to improve their performance and meet occupant needs in the most sustainable way possible,” said Josh Morejohn, Energy Manager for ECO.

ECO Advances UC Davis’ Energy and Sustainability Goals

Previously used as the on-campus ROTC facility, ECO now houses the Energy and Engineering team. The team’s mission is to improve building performance and eliminate energy waste at the building level to further UC Davis’ carbon neutrality goals and practice sustainable stewardship on campus. ECO is a testbed for building technology and is an office space for students and staff who are dedicated to collaborating with campus partners to make buildings operate more efficiently. “It made sense to pursue BREEAM here to showcase our innovative mindset and efficient operations, as well as serve as a valuable learning opportunity for the Green Buildings Team to further green building certification on campus,” said Alex Malm, Green Buildings Project Manager for ECO.

For more information:

UC Davis Energy Conservation Office

UC Davis Green Buildings

May 17, 2019–Two student groups received best paper awards in this year’s Sustainable Energy Immersion Class and presented their work to the Institute’s Board of Advisors. Greg Miller’s paper proposes a practical framework for achieving a corporate 24×7 renewable energy goal. Meg Slattery, Bridget Clark, and Emily Scheff’s paper explores reuse and recycling of lithium ion batteries and how to prepare California for a battery-reliant energy system.

Frank Loge Receives Endowed Professorship from Mexican Research University to Advance Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Frank Loge, Professor in the UC Davis Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, received an endowed professorship from the Institute Technólogico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM or Technólogico de Monterrey) to help advance work related to water, energy, and agricultural systems using an integrated, nexus approach. Loge, who is also Director of the UC Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency, is recognized as a leading authority in these areas.

“Latin America and Caribbean Countries are facing complex water, energy, and food challenges with a growing need for more integrated solutions,” said Loge. “I am excited to work with the Technólogico de Monterrey and their partners as they build their research in this important area.”

A Nexus Approach

Water, energy, and food resources are increasingly stressed by expanding demand, diminished supply, and environmental degradation, all of which occur within the broader context of complex economic and regulatory challenges. Historically, these resources have been treated separately, but they are inextricably linked. A nexus approach, considers the intertwined and interdependent nature of water, energy, and food systems, which is critical to achieving long-term economic, environmental, and social goals.

Action Plan

Over a decade ago, Technólogico de Monterrey, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the FEMSA Foundation created the Latin America & Caribbean Water Center to help advance the sustainable management of water in the region. Since its inception, the Center has made important contributions to water resource management.

With a goal to shift their focus to the larger water-energy-food nexus, the Center is holding a series of workshops with world-renowned experts to help define their work in this critical area. Loge was one of a select number of speakers at their workshop on February 14, where he provided a California perspective on the water-energy nexus, and discussed with other experts how the Center could make the most impact with its work. This workshop is one of several steps that Loge will be involved with as the Center works to define its mission, vision, goals, and actions.

Professor Loge speaking at the Technólogico de Monterrey’s February workshop.

Long-term Partnership

With his endowed professorship, Loge and his research team will continue to advance their work at UC Davis, while partnering with Technólogico de Monterrey for three years. One of their first collaborative projects involves developing a computational modeling framework that addresses the water-energy-food nexus and governance. This framework will be tested in real-life scenarios to assess current and future nonlinear dependencies in the face of climate change.

UC Davis–Mexico Collaborations

Loge’s appointment adds to the growing number of research projects that UC Davis is conducting in collaboration with Mexico. In 2018, UC Davis received three awards from Mexico’s Ministry of Energy and its National Council for Science Technology to work in partnership with Mexican research institutions on energy efficiency research, development, and demonstration. These projects are investments in capacity building which will help Mexico meet its ambitious clean energy goals.

Researchers will develop innovative additively-manufactured heat exchangers for Solar Thermal Power Generation

The University of California, Davis was selected to receive a $2.2 million dollar award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to advance solar technologies. UC Davis will advance concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) research and development. CSP concentrates incoming sunlight to heat that then generates electricity like a power plant.

Next Generation CSP

In CSP technology, solar energy is concentrated using mirrors and directed at a receiver. A heat transfer fluid, such as molten salt, flows within the receiver and absorbs heat from the concentrated solar energy and passes this energy on to a working fluid of a thermodynamic power cycle.

CSP system components must be able to withstand high-temperatures. Projects selected by the DOE will develop materials and designs for collectors, power cycles, and thermal transport systems that can withstand temperatures greater than 700^oC while being corrosion-resistant. Next generation CSP systems operating at higher temperatures will be able to store more heat and dispatch solar electricity at any time day or night.

A commercial CSP power plant in California on the border with Nevada.

UC Davis Project

The UC Davis team will develop a novel additively-manufactured high pressure heat exchanger applicable to CSP plants. Specifically, researchers will develop a heat exchanger that transfers heat from 720 ^oC molten salt to a high-pressure working fluid, supercritical carbondioxide, slated for use in the next generation of solar thermal power plants. Their approach includes corrosion characterization, thermofluidic experimentation, cost modeling, and market transformation.

Multi-faceted Research Team

The team consists of researchers from UC Davis, Carnegie Mellon University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and four companies. The lead PI of the project, Professor Vinod Narayanan, is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Associate Director of the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center.

Vinod Narayanan, Caton Mande and Efran Rasouli at the UC Davis experimental facility that will be used in this project.

“We are excited to develop this key enabling technology of the supercritical carbondioxide solar thermal power cycle through multi-faceted research in heat exchanger design and modeling, advanced manufacturing, and material science and engineering” said Narayanan.

UC Davis was selected as a part of the Energy Department’s FY2018 SETO funding program, an effort to invest in new projects that will lower solar electricity costs and support a growing solar workforce.

Learn more at energy.gov/solar-office.

Almost everything we do requires energy, from turning on our lights, to cooking our food, and getting us from place to place. Much of this energy produces greenhouse gases that congregate in the upper atmosphere and result in global warming. One of the easiest ways to reduce energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions is to use energy more efficiently.

What is energy efficiency?

Energy efficiency is about using less energy to provide the same service. Energy efficiency doesn’t require you to change your habits. You don’t have to turn off your lights more or use less hot water, although those are good things to do, too.

“Changes in lighting over the past 30 years is a great example,” said Michael Siminovitch, director of the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center.

He explains that switching from incandescent lighting to compact fluorescent lamps and now to light emitting diodes, or LEDS, saves energy without sacrificing light.

“LEDs provide the same amount of light but use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs,” he said.

UC Davis professor Michael Siminovitch, describes how consumers don’t need to sacrifice color quality for lighting efficiency.

The world’s most important ‘fuel’

One of my favorite statements about energy efficiency is that it is “the world’s single most important fuel.”

The International Energy Agency (IEA) produces a report each year that documents global energy efficiency efforts. Its most recent report found that the world’s global energy intensity—the amount of energy needed to produce one unit of gross domestic product—fell by 1.8 percent in 2016.

This means that energy efficiency is saving huge amounts of energy and helping to hold back increases in greenhouse gas emissions. They report that in 2016 we would have used 12 percent more energy had it not been for energy efficiency improvements since 2000. This is like adding another European Union to the global energy market.

Energy Efficiency Day

To recognize the importance of energy efficiency, the first Wednesday in October has been named Energy Efficiency Day (October 2 in 2019). Launched in 2016, this day is a collaborative effort of regional and national organizations encouraging actions that save energy.

“The great thing about energy efficiency is that everyone can get involved and make a difference,” said Benjamin Finkelor, executive director of the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute. “The benefits go well beyond saving energy. On a personal level, taking action can lower energy bills, but when we add up our collective efforts, energy efficiency helps create jobs, fuel the economy, and improve air quality and public health.”

Take action

There is a lot that individuals can do to make a difference, including switching your light bulbs to LEDs, buying energy-saving appliances, heating and cooling your home efficiently, and turning off devices that aren’t in use. For some simple ideas, see the Energy Efficiency Day website. One great new program that you may be able to take advantage of is the Million LED Challenge.

Million LED Challenge

Launched in July, the Million LED Challenge is a large-scale effort to replace 1 million lights with high-quality, energy efficient LEDs. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni of the University of California, California Community College system, the California State University system, and the California Department of General Services can purchase high-quality LED lights via the secure https://MillionLEDChallenge.com website and have them shipped directly to their home.

The light bulbs offered through the challenge cost about 46 percent less than the same light bulbs sold through online competitors.

The Million LED Challenge could result in significant energy savings and reduced emissions. Replacing 1 million 60-watt incandescent bulbs that are used about three hours a day would save 55.8 GWh per year, or 85 percent. This decreases CO₂ emissions by 41,461 metric tons, which is like removing 8,900 cars from the road each year, according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas equivalency calculator.

“Energy-efficient lighting is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint as a society,” Siminovitch said. “Everyone can contribute to this effort by replacing incandescent and CFL light bulbs with high-performance LED options.”

In the spirit of UC’s Million LED Challenge, UC President Janet Napolitano replaces the lighting in her office with LED bulbs. She’s pictured here with, from left, CLTC Director Michael Siminovitch, UCOP Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer William Cooper, and UCOP Associate Director of Strategic Sourcing Jeremy Meadows. (UCOP)

UC Launches Million Light Bulb Challenge Community Buy Program

UC Students, Staff, Faculty and Alumni Can Purchase High-Quality, Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs at a Great Price

The University of California is spearheading a statewide effort to advance the purchase of 1 million high-quality, energy-efficient light bulbs for campus buildings and residences across the state.

Under the Community Buy Program, all UC students, staff, faculty and alumni can purchase light bulbs at nearly half the price of online competitors.

“High-quality LED light sources help reduce our carbon footprint, reduce our energy use, and save money,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “We are excited to launch this challenge and swap out at least a million inefficient light sources.”

Light bulbs available through the Million Light Bulb Challenge are for campus buildings and residences of UC students, staff, faculty and alumni. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

About the challenge

Inspired by research conducted by the California Lighting Technology Center at UC Davis, the UC Office of the President spearheaded The Million Light Bulb Challenge to procure high-quality, energy-efficient light sources. UC is collaborating with the California Community College system, the California State University system and the California Department of General Services in this large-scale effort. The collaborative is working with employees at all campus buildings and is providing a new community-buy program.

Making it easy for the consumer

As of January 2018, everyday light bulbs for sale in California must meet new efficiency standards. Light-emitting diode, or LED, bulbs will be the bulb of choice for most consumers. However, it is often difficult to know which bulb to purchase as stores are filled with products that vary in terms of color appearance, dimming and longevity.

To make it easier for consumers to purchase high-quality LED bulbs, the California Million Light Bulb Challenge partners used specific performance criteria to evaluate and select the light bulbs that will go into UC facilities and be available to the UC community for purchase.

The light bulbs being offered through the challenge cost about 46 percent less than the same light bulbs sold through online competitors.

“Our goal was to take the guesswork and confusion out of the process and ensure that everyone gets a great light at a great price,” said Michael Siminovitch, director of the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center.

In creating the challenge, the team leveraged a high-quality performance specification published by the California Energy Commission to ensure that light bulbs purchased meet both quality and efficiency goals. After a public request for proposal was launched in fall 2017, the collaborative selected the team of Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc., and LEDVANCE, maker of SYLVANIA general lighting in the U.S., to provide lighting products for the first phase of the challenge.

California Lighting Technology Center Director Michael Siminovitch uses his hands to compare the color quality of a light bulb meeting the California Quality Specification (right) and one that does not. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

Everyone in the UC community can participate

UC students, staff, faculty and alumni can purchase light bulbs via the secure Million Light Bulb Challenge website and have them shipped directly to their home. The website features a number of educational resources to help consumers understand their options and support their lighting purchases. Users also will be able to see the total number of light bulbs purchased, estimated energy savings and estimated reduction in CO₂ emissions.

Types of light bulbs available today for purchase through the Million Light Bulb Challenge include A-lamps, PAR-lamps, and downlights. (Courtesy UC Davis)

The Million Light Bulb Challenge could result in significant energy savings and reduced emissions. Replacing 1 million 60-watt incandescent bulbs that are used about three hours a day would save 55.8 GWh per year, or 85 percent. This decreases CO₂ emissions by 41,461 metric tons, which is like removing 8,900 passenger vehicles from the road each year, according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas equivalency calculator.

“Energy-efficient lighting is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint as a society,” Siminovitch said. “Everyone can contribute to this effort by replacing incandescent and CFL light bulbs with high-performance LED options.”

For more information, visit https://www.millionlightbulbchallenge.org/.

Media Resources:

Press kit: https://bit.ly/2l4FCyN

Media Contact:

• Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News and Media Relations, (530) 752-7704, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu
• Ali Loge, Energy and Efficiency Institute, (530) 302-5686, asloge@ucdavis.edu
• Nicole Graeber Hathaway, California Lighting Technology Center, (530) 747-3847, negraeber@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis Solar Decathlon Team Receives Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards

In recognition of their outstanding achievements designing and building OurH2Ouse

On June 12, 2018 the UC Davis Solar Decathlon team, led by Professor Frank Loge in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, received the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award from the Structural Engineers Association of Central California for their work designing and building OurH2Ouse for the 2017 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. And on September 14, 2018 the team received a Merit Award at the state level from the Structural Engineers Association of California. These awards represent the “Best of the Best,” serving as models of excellence in structural engineering representing California Structural Engineers.

“I am so proud of the UC Davis Solar Decathlon team. These awards demonstrate the quality of the work they performed,” said Professor Frank Loge. “This experience and recognition will serve the students well as they enter the workforce and continue to drive the advancement of zero net energy homes.”

UC Davis Solar Decathlon team members at the Structural Engineers Association of Central California awards ceremony on June 12 in Sacramento. From left to right, Tom Ryan (project manager), Frank Loge (faculty lead), Norman Scheel (consulting expert), and Shahab Faghri (engineering manager).

UC Davis Solar Decathlon Team

For two years, over 100 undergraduate and graduate students from over twenty disciplines participated on the UC Davis team to design, build and operate a solar-powered house that is cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. This house was one of twelve different homes that competed in the 2017 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in Denver, Colorado. The UC Davis team built OurH2Ouse–an original design that addressed the severe drought in California by cutting the water use in a typical residence in half, while maintaining the same level of comfort at an affordable price point.

Members of the UC Davis Solar Decathlon team.

OurH20use at the 2017 Solar Decathlon competition in Denver, Colorado.

OurH2Ouse

For many years, California has suffered from cyclically-occurring droughts. OurH2Ouse (pronounced “our house”) was designed to address this critical issue through three main design and engineering pillars: drought resilience, education, and inclusiveness.

• Drought Resilience is promoted through community-level systems of energy and water management. Water flow rates are monitored in all of the water lines and collected data is compared to customizable water budget goals. In addition, reclaimed and/or sustainable building materials are used throughout the home to lower the overall carbon footprint of the house and improve the home’s long-term energy and water efficiency.
• Education is achieved by influencing occupants, both consciously and unconsciously, to minimize their water use through exposure to physical and virtual feedback systems.
• Inclusiveness is encouraged through the home’s affordable construction cost (about $175/sf) and its open and adaptable interior and exterior ADA-compliant floor plan that can fulfill the needs of a 1 to 4-person family, as well as a household of student renters.

Innovative educational elements are incorporated throughout OurH20use, including LED displays at every faucet that enable residents to monitor and control their water use.

Unique Features

In designing and building OurH2Ouse, the UC Davis team worked with a number of local experts, including the Norman Scheel Structural Engineering firm. “It was wonderful to work with the students and contribute to their effort,” said Norman Scheel. “They built a house with many impressive structural features that had to take into account not only wind and seismic loads, but also transportation loads and portability as the house had to be transported to the competition over 1200 miles away and reconstructed on site.”

Some of the unique features the students incorporated into the house include:

• A modular design for easy transport, quick assembly and disassembly, and with minimum site disturbance.
• A support system that enables installation of a seismic base isolator to protect the home against earthquakes.
• Structurally Integrated Panels on the floor and roof that enable quick construction and are joist-less and radiant floor compatible.
• A BamCore panelized wall system made from bamboo, which has no traditional framing studs, a smaller carbon footprint, and uses less water than traditional wood framing. In addition, this wall system eliminates the need for exterior sheathing and drywall.
• A patented cam lock system for tying panels together, which virtually eliminates all floor and roof framing.
• Exterior walls that have only 2.5% of the wall cavity occupied by wood studs, as compared to 20% of traditionally framed walls, which makes installation of rough utilities much easier.
• Thermafiber mineral wool for wall insulation, made from alternative recycled materials like rock and furnace slag byproduct from the steel industry, saving valuable natural resources.
• An open and adaptable interior and exterior ADA-compliant floor plan.
• Attractive and comfortable outdoor spaces that minimize the need for indoor conditioned space, which include retractable awnings that provide shade in the summer heat and collect rainwater in the winter.
• Greywater and rainwater collection and storage to eliminate potable outdoor water use.

UC Davis team members working with BamCore onsite.

Diagram illustrating the key components of BamCore.

What’s Next

OurH2Ouse has received a lot of interest. After the Solar Decathlon competition, the house was sold to the city and county of Denver to be integrated into a Habitat for Humanity community, where it will go on to serve a valuable purpose and data will continue to be collected on the home’s performance.

“Our goal was to create a house with a flexible design to encourage widespread incorporation into new and existing neighborhoods, which together can aggregate and impact resource consumption on a greater scale than just a single house. When employed, this sharing and processing power allows these homes to help governmental organizations, utility companies, and communities collectively manage local energy grids and water,” explained Shahab Faghri, engineering manager for the UC Davis Solar Decathlon team and a recent graduate of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Master’s program. “Our design stems from the belief that true, sustained resource reduction is not just the responsibility of technology but is also the responsibility of the people and communities that live in these homes.”