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UC Davis Energy News – February 2021

This April marks our 15th Anniversary and in celebration of this special occasion, each month we will be featuring a photo from our archive. Above – our first cohort of Energy Graduate Group students back in 2017. Many of these students are now energy professionals in government, the private sector and academia.

Welcome Kayla

We are excited to welcome Kayla Levering to the Institute. Kayla is our new program manager. She will be supporting our administrative, programmatic, financial, and communications and outreach efforts. Kayla received her Bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Sacramento State University and has experience working in office and event management. We look forward to introducing you all to her soon!

Survey Reveals Barriers to Widespread Adoption of Solar Water Heating

Solar water heating provides domestic hot water with lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to more typical natural-gas water heating. Widespread adoption of solar water heating in California, however, has not occurred despite a favorable climate and state-backed incentive programs. UC Davis researchers surveyed 227 single-family households with solar water heating across California to understand their motivations and experiences. [Read Study]

Water Center Collaborates on Landmark Energy-Water Conservation Study

Conserving water plays a vital role in conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). In a new study with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, UC Davis researchers found that customer-focused water conservation programs are just as cost-effective (and in some cases, are more cost-effective) as energy efficiency programs in reducing electricity use, GHGs and other energy-intensive operations. [Read Study]

Project Shows Benefits of Low-Cost, Large-Diameter Shallow Ground Loops for Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps

Ground-source heat pumps can provide significant efficiency improvements over conventional air-source systems, but are expensive to install. The Western Cooling Efficiency Center developed and validated modeling tools for simulating a ground heat exchanger technology that provides a less expensive method for implementing ground-source heat pumps. Simulations show a significant reduction in energy use for many California climate zones, with an average heating and cooling energy savings of 20 percent and 23 percent, respectively. [Read Report]

Now Accepting Applications to our Energy Graduate Group

The UC Davis Energy Graduate Group offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in energy systems. Students take relevant coursework from across the UC Davis campus and conduct interdisciplinary research to address pressing energy challenges. The general application deadline is April 1. [Apply Now]

Opportunities

General Deadline for UC Davis Energy Graduate Group

M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in Energy Systems

Apply by April 1, 2021

Associate Director

California Lighting Technology Center

Apply by April 14, 2021