UC Davis Energy News – July/August 2025

Expert smiling at energy conference display.

Jae Yong Suk Appointed Director of CLTC The California Lighting Technology Center has appointed Jae Yong Suk, associate professor of design, as its new director. Suk previously served as CLTC’s faculty co-director from 2022 to 2025. An accomplished researcher and internationally recognized lighting designer, he conducts research spanning human comfort, building energy efficiency and controls, indoor environmental quality, […]

Jae Yong Suk Appointed Director of CLTC

Jae Yong Suk smiling at the Energy Efficiency Institute event.

The California Lighting Technology Center has appointed Jae Yong Suk, associate professor of design, as its new director. Suk previously served as CLTC’s faculty co-director from 2022 to 2025.

EGG Students Earn Prestigious Opportunities Across the Globe and Beyond

Student with rocket model outdoors at UC Davis campus.

Our Energy Graduate Group students continue to distinguish themselves through academic excellence, leadership, and hands-on engagement in high-profile programs. This summer, four students earned recognition and invitations to participate in exceptional opportunities at the international, national, and UC system levels.

UC Davis Energy News – June 2025

Graduates tossing caps during UC Davis graduation celebration.

Congratulations to the Energy Graduate Group Class of 2025! We are thrilled to congratulate Pablo Busch, Maria Kanwal, Yudi Li, Francisco Pares Olguin, Hong Yang, Hayley Amo and Nikunj Bhartia upon your graduation! We’re excited to see how your talents will shape the future of energy. Wishing you continued growth and meaningful impact in the future. Watch the 2025 […]

UC Davis Research on Floating Solar Featured in Grist

Solar panel arrays for renewable energy generation at UC Davis Energy Efficiency Institute.

Wild Energy Center researchers were in the spotlight in a recent Grist feature exploring the ecological impacts of floating solar. Director Rebecca Hernandez and graduate researcher Amanda Bujosa share why understanding how floating solar affects aquatic ecosystems is essential as the technology scales. Their work is helping define a critical research agenda at the intersection of clean energy and environmental stewardship.

CLTC Director Travels to Thailand for Inaugural LED Lighting Design Competition

LED lighting design competition at UC Davis Energy Efficiency Institute, June 2025.

CLTC Director Michael Siminovitch traveled to Thailand to lead the inaugural LED Lighting Design Competition at Khon Kaen University. The month-long program, hosted by the university’s School of Architecture, brought together 30 students to design and prototype aesthetically compelling, functional LED pathway lights.

Lab2Slab Pours New Sustainable Test Concrete

Construction workers installing energy-efficient infrastructure at UC Davis.

The UC Pavement Research Center hosted a Lab2Slab construction event in June, placing three new concrete test slabs using alternative cement blends aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The event drew researchers, industry partners, and students to observe the latest step in testing more sustainable pavement materials.

WCEC Team Tests Real-World Performance of Low-GWP Heat Pumps

House with energy-saving systems for current, near-term, and medium-term solutions.

A new WCEC report explores affordable strategies to accelerate adoption of low-global-warming-potential (low-GWP) heat pumps in California homes. Findings show that the heat pumps reduced greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90 percent compared to the gas systems they replaced. The team also advanced a novel polymer heat exchanger design to support long-term market transformation as refrigerant standards tighten.