| Title | Authors | Type | Journal | Publish Date | Description | Download | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harnessing non-energy impacts to promote residential heat pump adoption: Examples from the U.S. and beyond | Sarah Outcault, Emily Searl, Cinthia Magaña, and Eli Alston-Stepnitz | Conference Paper | 2024 | As countries strive to decarbonize residential buildings, air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) have emerged as crucial tools in this endeavor. However, challenges persist in promoting widespread adoption, including political resistance, economic barriers, and consumer perceptions. This paper explores the role of non-energy impacts (NEIs) in influencing heat pump adoption and examines how heat pump programs leverage NEIs to encourage uptake. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Load Flexibility: Keeping Users in the Loop with “Invisible” Technologies | Angela Sanguinetti, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Sarah Outcault, and Margaret Taylor | Conference Paper | 2024 | This paper focuses on user experience with emerging load flexible (LF) technologies, as demonstrated in residential and commercial building field sites in California. It draws from semi structured interviews with people who interacted with LF technologies or who had energy services affected by these technologies during testing of their responsiveness to electricity price and greenhouse gas signals simulating those expected as California’s grid evolves. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Stakeholder perspectives on the role of standards in establishing a load flexible ecosystem | Sarah Outcault, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Margaret Taylor | Conference Paper | 2024 | Technology standards emerge as a key driver with regard to market stimulation, innovation, and widespread adoption of interoperable load-flexible technologies that enable grid interactive energy-efficient buildings. This paper explores the “chicken and egg” issues related to the widespread adoption of load-flexible devices in the face of uncertain technology standards. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| A review of current practice for life cycle assessment of cement and concrete | Josefine A Olsson, Sabbie A Miller, Joshua D Kneifel | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2024 | Concrete production is a significant contributor to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to its extensive use. These notable impacts have driven a desire to quantify the environmental burdens and pathways to reduce burdens of this product, commonly through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Here, we review the application of the LCA methodology in assessing various decarbonization strategies and areas where accuracy of quantitative environmental impact assessments for comparison can be improved. | Read Report | mdsc |
| The climate benefits from cement carbonation are being overestimated | Elisabeth Van Roijen, Kati Sethares, Alissa Kendall, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Communications | 2024 | Rapid decarbonization of the cement industry is critical to meeting climate goals. Oversimplification of direct air capture benefits from hydrated cement carbonation has skewed the ability to derive decarbonization solutions. Here, we present both global cement carbonation magnitude and its dynamic effect on cumulative radiative forcing. | Read Report | mdsc |
| What's the ETA for heat pump adoption? Assessing barriers and opportunities with the Energy Technology Adoptability framework | Conference Paper | 2024 | Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are a keystone technology to electrify and decarbonise buildings. Despite an abundance of programs to promote their adoption, uptake lags behind targeted rates in many regions. Research has highlighted a range of factors that hinder heat pump adoption, but it tends to focus on known barriers such as high initial costs and lack of awareness among potential customers. This paper takes a systematic approach to exploring barriers to heat pump adoption, using the Energy Technology Adoptability (ETA) framework. | Read Paper | mtrp | ||
| Mass, enthalpy, and chemical‐derived emission flows in mineral processing | Seth Kane, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Industrial Ecology | 2024 | The production of materials from mineral resources is a significant contributor to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This contribution is driven primarily by chemical CO2 emissions from the conversion of mineral resources and emissions tied to energy demands for material processing. In this work, we synthesize the thermodynamically required enthalpy and chemically derived emissions of mineral processing and consumption in the United States. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Combined cement and steel recycling could cut CO2 emissions | Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature | 2024 | Cement can be reused by including it as a component of steel recycling. This opens the way to an industrial partnership that improves the use of materials and lowers carbon emissions — but only if waste resources are well managed. | Read Report (paywall) | mdsc |
| Assessing uncertainty in building material emissions using scenario-aware Monte Carlo simulation | Ahmad Bin Thaneya, Aysegul Petek Gursel, Seth Kane, Sabbie A Miller, Arpad Horvath | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability | 2024 | Global greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment remain high, driving innovative approaches to develop and adopt building materials that can mitigate some of those emissions. However, life-cycle assessment (LCA) practices still lack standardized quantitative uncertainty assessment frameworks, which are urgently needed to robustly assess mitigation efforts. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Predicting biochar properties and pyrolysis life-cycle inventories with compositional modeling | Seth Kane, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Bioresource Technology | 2024 | Biochar, formed through slow pyrolysis of biomass, has garnered attention as a pathway to bind atmospheric carbon in products. However, life cycle assessment data for biomass pyrolysis have limitations in data quality, particularly for novel processes. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of rice hull ash from electricity generation as a mineral additive to concrete | Jin Wook Ro, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller, Alissa Kendall, John Harvey | Peer-reviewed Article | Scientific Reports | 2024 | A circular economy based on symbiotic relationships among sectors, where the waste from one is resource to another, holds promise for cost-effective and sustainable production. This research explores such a model for the agriculture, energy, and construction sectors in California. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Towards the production of net-negative greenhouse gas emission bio-based plastics from 2nd and 3rd generation feedstocks | Elisabeth Van Roijen, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2024 | Here, we show production pathways for greenhouse gas (GHG)-negative bio-based plastics from 2nd and 3rd generation feedstocks. We focus on bio-based plastics that are technically capable of replacing 80% of the global plastic market. | Read Report | mdsc |
| SLIDE DECK: What's the ETA for heat pump adoption? Assessing barriers and opportunities with the Energy Technology Adoptability framework | Sarah Outcault | Conference Slides | 2024 | Air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are a keystone technology to electrify and decarbonise buildings. Despite an abundance of programs to promote their adoption, uptake lags behind targeted rates in many regions. Research has highlighted a range of factors that hinder heat pump adoption, but it tends to focus on known barriers such as high initial costs and lack of awareness among potential customers. This paper takes a systematic approach to exploring barriers to heat pump adoption, using the Energy Technology Adoptability (ETA) framework. | View Slides | mtrp | |
| Database of residential heat pump promotion efforts | Sarah Outcault | Database | 2024 | Searchable database of utility, government, and community-led programs and activities to promote residential heat pump adoption by addressing the technology's trialability, observability, complexity of installation, and non-energy benefits. | View Database (Excel file) | mtrp | |
| Innovative Approaches to Residential Heat Pump Promotion | Sarah Outcault, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Ellian Eorwyn, Cinthia Magana & Emily Searl | Project Report | 2024 | California has identified heat pumps as a keystone technology on its path to decarbonization. To achieve the state’s goal of reaching six million heat pump installations by 2030, however, adoption rates must accelerate substantially. While various rebate programs have been introduced to alleviate the initial cost burden associated with heat pump installation, it is imperative to acknowledge and address critical non-cost barriers that may impede widespread adoption. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Aligning renewable energy expansion with climate-driven range shifts | Uzma Ashraf, Toni Lyn Morelli, Adam B. Smith & Rebecca R. Hernandez | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Climate Change | 2024 | Fossil fuel dependence can be reduced, in part, by renewable energy expansion. Increasingly, renewable energy siting seeks to avoid significant impacts on biodiversity but rarely considers how species ranges will shift under climate change. Here we undertake a systematic literature review on the topic and overlay future renewable energy siting maps with the ranges of two threatened species under future climate scenarios to highlight this potential conflict. | Read Report (paywall) | we |
| A review of drivers for implementing geopolymers in construction: Codes and constructability | Andrés Martínez, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2023 | Geopolymer concrete (GPC) has emerged as an alternative to Portland cement (PC) concrete in recent decades, with recent drivers for its use being tied to its potential environmental sustainability benefits and comparable performance. However, many aspects influencing its implementation are yet to be fully addressed. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Harmonized Life-Cycle Inventories of Nanocellulose and Its Application in Composites | Seth Kane, Sabbie A Miller, Kimberly E Kurtis, Jeffrey P Youngblood, Eric N Landis, W Jason Weiss | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Science & Technology | 2023 | Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and nanofibers (CNF) have been broadly studied as renewable nanomaterials for various applications, including additives in cement and plastics composites. Herein, life cycle inventories for 18 previously examined processes are harmonized, and the impacts of CNC and CNF production are compared with a particular focus on GHG emissions. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Meeting industrial decarbonization goals: a case study of and roadmap to a net-zero emissions cement industry in California | Alyson Kim, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2023 | Recent decarbonization policies are expected to significantly impact high greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting industries, as they will be forced to find ways to operate with a lower environmental footprint. Due to the energy required for the kilns and the unavoidable chemical-derived emissions during manufacturing, in addition to its high global consumption levels, the cement industry is anticipated to be among the early industries affected. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Near-term Pathways for Decarbonizing Global Concrete Production | Josefine A Olsson, Sabbie A Miller, Mark G Alexander | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Communications | 2023 | Growing urban populations and deteriorating infrastructure are driving unprecedented demands for concrete, a material for which there is no alternative that can meet its functional capacity. The production of concrete, more particularly the hydraulic cement that glues the material together, is one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While this is a well-studied source of emissions, the consequences of efficient structural design decisions on mitigating these emissions are not yet well known. Here, we show that a combination of manufacturing and engineering decisions have the potential to reduce over 76% of the GHG emissions from cement and concrete production, equivalent to 3.6 Gt CO2-eq lower emissions in 2100. | Read Report | mdsc |
| The Influence of Biochar on the Flow Properties, Early Hydration, and Strength Evolution of Paste | Wolfram Schmidt, Louise Midroit, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller, Sofiane Amziane | Conference Paper | International Conference on Bio-Based Building Materials | 2023 | In order to reduce the carbon footprint, biochar can be used as CO2-negative concrete constituent. The paper shows results of experiments with cement paste and mortar mixtures with 5%, 15% and 30% of cement volume replaced by biochar. | Read Paper (paywall) | mdsc |
| Optimizing supplementary cementitious material replacement to minimize the environmental impacts of concrete | Kelli A Knight, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Cement and Concrete Composites | 2023 | With growing environmental consequences from material consumption, there is increased urgency to decarbonize the production of materials we consume frequently, including concrete. It is common to use supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to limit the clinker content of Portland cement and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in concrete production. However, over-utilization of SCMs can degrade material performance and increase other environmental impacts. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Cellulose Nanocrystals as a Value-Based Additive for Low Carbon Footprint Concrete with Limestone | Krishna Siva Teja Chopperla, Sivakumar Ramanathan, Keshav Bharadwaj Ravi, Angel Mateos, John Harvey, Somayeh Nassiri, Jeffrey Alan Buscheck, Sabbie Miller, O Burkan Isgor, W Jason Weiss | Project Report | 2023 | This project evaluated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as an additive that can aid in concrete 3 mixture modifications in an effort to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint. This project explored the 4 use of CNCs in cementitious materials containing various amounts of limestone (LS). | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Engineering the performance of post-consumer calcium carbonate from carpet in cement-based materials through pre-treatment methods | Patrick R Cunningham, Peter G Green, Sanjai J Parikh, John T Harvey, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2023 | Using post-consumer carpet calcium carbonate (PC4) in concrete can support a circular economy. Three treatments were evaluated to engineer PC4: furnacing at 600°C, furnacing at 900°C, and milling. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Solar Energy-driven Land-cover Change Could Alter Landscapes Critical to Animal Movement in the Continental United States | Michael O. Levin, Elizabeth L. Kalies, Emma Forester, Elizabeth L. A. Jackson, Andrew H. Levin, Caitlin Markus, Patrick F. McKenzie, Jared B. Meek, and Rebecca R. Hernandez | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Science & Technology | 2023 | The United States may produce as much as 45% of its electricity using solar energy technology by 2050, which could require more than 40,000 km2 of land to be converted to large-scale solar energy production facilities. Little is known about how such development may impact animal movement. Here, we use five spatially explicit projections of solar energy development through 2050 to assess the extent to which ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy expansion in the continental United States may impact land-cover and alter areas important for animal movement. | Read Report (paywall) | we |
| Cost-Constrained Optimization of Energy Efficiency for Multi-family and Commercial Buildings | David Vernon, Mazen Daher, Mark Modera | Project Report | 2023 | This project provides California stakeholders with cost-optimized selections of technology packages for building cost-effective and high-efficiency multi-family residential and commercial buildings. A detailed cost and energy performance analysis was used to identify measures and packages that most closely approach zero-net energy for each building type in each state climate zone. | Read Report | ||
| OpenConcrete: a tool for estimating the environmental impacts from concrete production | Alyson Kim, Patrick R Cunningham, Kanotha Kamau-Devers and Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | IOP Science | 2022 | As the increasing global consumption of concrete drives notable environmental burdens from its production, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, interest in mitigation efforts is increasing. Yet current environmental impact quantification tools rely on user decision-making to select data for each concrete constituent, have inconsistent scopes and system boundaries, and often utilize third-party life cycle inventories. These factors limit customization or tracking of data and hinder the ability to draw robust comparisons among concrete mixtures to mitigate its environmental burdens. To address these issues, we introduce a cohesive, unified dataset of material, energy, and emission inventories to quantify the environmental impacts of concrete. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Cement substitution with secondary materials can reduce annual global CO2 emissions by up to 1.3 gigatons | Izhar Hussain Shah, Sabbie A Miller, Daqian Jiang, Rupert J Myers | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Communications | 2022 | Population and development megatrends will drive growth in cement production, which is already one of the most challenging-to-mitigate sources of CO2 emissions. However, availabilities of conventional secondary cementitious materials (CMs) like fly ash are declining. | Read Report | mdsc |
| A material flow analysis of carpet in the United States: Where should the carpet go? | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2022 | On average in 2018, each person in the United States (US) used approximately 28 m2 of carpet. Relative to other building materials, carpet has a short lifespan (4–25 years) and its frequent disposal requires notable landfill volume. Limited understanding of the types and magnitude of resources available from carpet disposals has limited exploration into their contributions to the circular economy. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Literature review on policies to mitigate GHG emissions for cement and concrete | Pablo Busch, Alissa Kendall, Colin W Murphy, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2022 | The production and use of cement, the binding agent in concrete, emits seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. Achieving climate change mitigation targets, such as those proposed in the Paris Agreement, requires emission reductions from this sector. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Reducing the environmental impacts of plastics while increasing strength: Biochar fillers in biodegradable, recycled, and fossil-fuel derived plastics | Seth Kane, Elisabeth Van Roijen, Cecily Ryan, Sabbie Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Composites Part C: Open Access | 2022 | In this study, material characterization and a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment methodology are applied to examine how the addition of biochar as a filler in recycled plastics (rHDPE) influences material properties and environmental burdens. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Industrial Decarbonization: Policy Pathwaysfor the Cement & Concrete Sector | Pablo Busch, Alissa Kendall, Colin Murphy, Sabbie Miller | Policy Brief | 2022 | Globally, cement production is one of the key contributors to anthropogenic CO2 emissions from the industrial sector. Cement is a key constituent in the production of concrete and mortar, which are critical infrastructure materials used worldwide. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| A review of bioplastics at end-of-life: Linking experimental biodegradation studies and life cycle impact assessments | Elisabeth C Van Roijen, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2022 | This review examines cradle-to-grave life cycle assessments (LCAs) and biodegradation studies of common bioplastics. Fueled by a growing single-use consumer base, the rate at which plastics are produced and disposed of is outpacing most other man-made materials, which is leading to substantial environmental impacts. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Using a micromechanical viscoelastic creep model to capture multi-phase deterioration in bio-based wood polymer composites exposed to moisture | Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2022 | To accurately depict in-service behavior of multi-phase, fully bio-based composites, models must be able to capture material deterioration. In this work, a viscoelastic micromechanical creep model, validated by experimental work, was proposed for bio-based wood polymer composites subject to moisture and prolonged loading. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Technology Characteristics that Influence Adoption of Residential Distributed Energy Resources: Adapting Rogers’ Framework | Sarah Outcault, Angela Sanguinetti, Leslie Nelson | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Policy | 2022 | Distributed energy resources (DERs) present an important opportunity to lower the carbon intensity of residential buildings but face numerous barriers to adoption. This paper extends and adapts Rogers' theory of the role of technology characteristics in the diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 1962) to address the unique features of residential DERs. | Read Report | mtrp |
| Modeling Impacts of Ventilation and Filtration Methods on Energy Use and Airborne Disease Transmission in Classrooms | Theresa Pistochini, Caton Mande, Subhrajit Chakraborty | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Building Engineering | 2022 | The benefits of increased ventilation and filtration for reducing disease transmission compared to drawbacks of reduced thermal comfort and increased energy consumption and electricity demand are not well described. A comprehensive simulation of outdoor air ventilation rates and filtration methods was performed with a modified Wells-Riley equation and EnergyPlus building simulation to understand the trade-offs between infection probability and energy consumption for a simulated classroom in 13 cities across the US. | Read Report | |
| Packaged Roof Top Unit with Integrated Heat Pump and Indirect/Direct Evaporative Cooling | Theresa Pistochini, Robert McMurry | Technical Report | 2022 | The emerging technology assessed in this study is a packaged RTU that integrates a heat pump (HP) with an indirect-direct evaporative cooling(IDEC) system that is designed as a direct replacement for a traditional RTU. This project evaluates the packaged heat pump with IDEC in a field study and compares its performance to a baseline packaged RTU. | Read Report | ||
| Hourly accounting of carbon emissions from electricity consumption | Gregory J Miller, Kevin Novan and Alan Jenn | Peer-reviewed Article | IOP Science | 2022 | Carbon accounting is important for quantifying the sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are driving climate change, and is increasingly being used to guide policy, investment, business, and regulatory decisions. The current practice for accounting emissions from consumed electricity, guided by standards like the GHG protocol, uses annual-average grid emission factors, although previous studies have shown that grid carbon intensity varies across seasons and hours of the day. | Read Report | |
| Building lower-carbon affordable housing: case studies from California | Sarah Outcault, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Angela Sanguinetti, Ashley N. DePew & Cinthia Magaña | Peer-reviewed Article | Building Research and Information | 2022 | This research explores developers’ experiences with lower-carbon multi-family affordable housing in California using three case studies that illustrate different pathways to decarbonization – improving efficiency, eliminating fossil fuel combustion for end-uses, and adopting a zero-net energy design. | Read Report (paywall) | mtrp |
| Greenhouse Gas Analysis of Proposed HVAC Designs for the Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus | Dr. David Vernon, Mazen Daher | Technical Report | 2022 | The Davis City Council has required that the proposed Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus use an all-electric, high efficiency HVAC design that would be 30% more efficient than Title 24 code requirements using the Time Dependent Valuation metric. To meet this requirement, the HVAC design would use packaged air source heat pumps on each of the buildings. Upgrading the HVAC systems to a district energy system with all electric central equipment including a chiller, heat pump, thermal energy storage tanks, and a geothermal bore field has the potential to be even more efficient than the required design. | Read Report | ||
| Occupant Non-Energy Impact Identification Framework: A human-centered approach to understanding residential energy retrofits | Sarah Outcault, Angela Sanguinetti, Nermin Dessouky, Cinthia Magaña | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy and Buildings | 2022 | Residential energy retrofits have the potential to generate significant non-energy impacts (NEIs) on occupants, but the understanding of those NEIs has been hampered by the lack of a shared approach to studying them. A detailed literature review revealed several common tendencies that limit the generalizability of findings, including a focus on benefits, different categorization schemes, varied scope and specificity, the conflation of impacts across occupant groups, and conflation of retrofits’ functional outcomes with occupant impacts. This paper suggests a more systematic way of conceptualizing NEIs is needed and proposes a new framework that supports a comprehensive, unbiased, human-centered, and standardized approach. | Read Report (paywall) | mtrp |
| Characterizing the performance of a do-it-yourself (DIY) box fan air filter | Rachael Dal Porto, Monet N. Kunz, Theresa Pistochini, Richard L. Corsi & Christopher D. Cappa | Peer-reviewed Article | Aerosol Science and Technology | 2022 | Air filtration serves to reduce concentrations of particles in indoor environments. Most standalone, also referred to as portable or in-room, air filtration systems use HEPA filters, and cost generally scales with the clean air delivery rate. A “do-it-yourself” lower-cost alternative, known as the Corsi-Rosenthal Box, that uses MERV-13 filters coupled with a box fan has been recently proposed, but lacks systematic performance characterization. We have characterized the performance of a five-panel Corsi-Rosenthal air cleaner using both research-grade instrumentation (an aerodynamic particle sizer, APS) and a low-cost particle sensor. | Read Report | |
| Untapped potential: leak reduction is the most cost-effective urban water management tool | Amanda Rupiper, Joakim Weill, Ellen Bruno, Katrina Jessoe and Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | IOP Science | 2022 | Providing sufficient, safe, and reliable drinking water is a growing challenge as water supplies become more scarce and uncertain. Meanwhile, water utilities in the United States lose approximately 17% of their delivered water to leaks each year. Using data from over 800 utilities across four U.S. states, California, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, we characterize the heterogeneity in water losses across the U.S., develop a model to assess the economically efficient level of losses, and use this model to compare the net benefits of several proposed water loss regulations and modeling approaches. | Read Report | |
| Understanding teachers' experiences of ventilation in California K- 12 classrooms and implications for supporting safe operation of schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic | Angela Sanguinetti, Sarah Outcault, Theresa Pistochini, Madison Hoffacker | Peer-reviewed Article | Wiley | 2022 | Classrooms are often under-ventilated, posing risks for airborne disease transmission as schools have reopened amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While technical solutions to ensure adequate air exchange are crucial, this research focuses on teachers’ per-ceptions and practices that may also have important implications for achieving a safe classroom environment. | Read Report | mtrp |
| Greenhouse Gas Emission Forecasts for Electrification of Space Heating in Residential Homes in the USG | Theresa Pistochini, Mitchal Dichter, Subhrajit Chakraborty, Nelson Dichter, Aref Aboud | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Policy | 2022 | This study aims to inform policymakers about the greenhouse gas emission impacts of heat pump deployment in residential homes. Electric heat pumps eliminate direct burning of fossil fuels in homes but result in indirect emissions due to fossil fuels burned for electricity production. This paper presents the first detailed emission forecasts for operating either a heat pump or gas furnace for residential heating over a 15-year period, starting in year 2022 through 2036, in six regions across the US. | Read Report | |
| R-466A Refrigerant Demonstration and Performance | Curtis Harrington, Fred Meyers | Case Study | 2022 | Refrigerants used in vapor-compression air conditioners and heat pumps have been the subject of environmental regulations requiring the need to develop alternative solutions with lower global warming potential (GWP). In general, there is a trade-off when choosing alternative refrigerants between safety, performance, and GWP. | Read Report | ||
| Material Efficiency as a Means to Lower Environmental Impacts from Concrete | Sonoko Ichimaru Watanabe, Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Policy Brief | 2021 | Concrete is a key component of the built environment. However, the manufacture of cement-based materials, such as concrete, produces over 8% of worldwide anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The largest contributor to the GHG emissions from concrete is associated with the manufacture of conventional cement, which reacts with water to “glue” rock fragments (aggregates) together to make concrete. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Quantifying Environmental Impacts from Concrete Production, While Accounting for Data Variability and Uncertainty | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Policy Brief | 2021 | Concrete is the second most-used material on earth, surpassed only by water. Composed of cement (made by heating lime and clays at extremely high temperatures), crushed stone (aggregates), water, and other admixtures as needed, concrete is used in construction of roads, bridges, ports, and buildings. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Transformation of Engineering Tools to Increase Material Efficiency of Concrete | Sonoko Ichimaru Watanabe, Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | This report demonstrates how considerations across concrete material design and infrastructure design can be used together to change environmental impacts and costs by targeting appropriate constituents, materials, and system longevity. In this early stage exploration, methods to compare concrete mixtures proportioning as they relate to environmental impacts, comparison indices based on common performance characteristics were used. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Benchmarking GHG Emissions from California Concrete Production and Readily Implementable Mitigation Methods | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | The demand for concrete, which is conventionally composed of granular rocks (aggregates), water, and Portland cement (as well as other additives depending on desired performance) continues to grow. The manufacturing of Portland cement leads to notable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which has driven interest in alternative concrete mixture designs, cement production processes, and other emissions mitigation strategies. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Transformation of Engineering Tools to Increase Material Efficiency of Concrete | Sonoko Ichimaru Watanabe, Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | This report demonstrates how considerations across concrete material design and infrastructure design can be used together to change environmental impacts and costs by targeting appropriate constituents, materials, and system longevity. In this early-stage exploration, methods to compare concrete mixtures proportioning as they relate to environmental impacts, comparison indices based on common performance characteristics were used. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Material Efficiency as a Means to Lower Environmental Impacts from Concrete | Sonoka Ichimaru Watanabe, Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Patrick Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | Concrete is a key component of the built environment. However, the manufacture of cement-based materials, such as concrete, produces over 8% of worldwide anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While reducing impacts from material production is an important strategy, structural design can also mitigate the environmental impacts of concrete. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Quantifying Environmental Impacts from Concrete Production, While Accounting for Data Variability and Uncertainty | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | Concrete is the second most-used material on earth, surpassed only by water. Concrete is used in construction of roads, bridges, ports, and buildings. Concrete is also responsible for over 8% of annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. As population and urbanization increase and existing infrastructure deteriorates, demand for production of concrete will increase, and with it, the environmental burdens from its production. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Benchmarking GHG Emissions from California Concrete and Readily Implementable Mitigation Methods | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Project Report | 2021 | The demand for concrete, which is conventionally composed of granular rocks (aggregates), water, and Portland cement (as well as other additives depending on desired performance) continues to grow. The manufacturing of Portland cement leads to notable greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions, which has driven interest in alternative concrete mixture designs, cement production processes, and other emissions mitigation strategies. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the cement industry via value chain mitigation strategies | Sabbie A Miller, Guillaume Habert, Rupert J Myers, John T Harvey | Peer-reviewed Article | One Earth | 2021 | Cement is used globally in construction materials for nearly all civil infrastructure systems supporting improved quality of life, and there is currently no substitute that can meet its functional capacity. The magnitude of cement production leads to more than 7% of annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resulting from both energy use and chemical reactions, which imposes a notable barrier to reach net zero emissions by 2050. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Opportunities and challenges for engineering construction materials as carbon sinks | Sabbie A Miller, Elisabeth Van Roijen, Patrick Cunningham, Alyson Kim | Project Report | 2021 | Population growth and urbanization over the coming decades are anticipated to drive unprecedented demand for infrastructure materials and energy resources. Unfortunately, factors such as the degree of resource consumption, the energy-intensive nature of production, and the chemical-reaction driven emissions make infrastructure materials production industries among the greatest contributors to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Environmental impacts and environmental justice implications of supplementary cementitious materials for use in concrete | Leah Brinkman, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability | 2021 | As the second most used material after water and the producer of 8%–9% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, concrete is a key target for environmental sustainability efforts. Of these efforts, a main focus has been the use of industrial byproducts as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to replace some of the cement binder, the source of most of the GHG emissions from concrete production. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Utilization of post-consumer carpet calcium carbonate (PC4) from carpet recycling as a mineral resource in concrete | Patrick R Cunningham, Peter G Green, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2021 | The short residence time of certain building materials, such as carpets, results in a notable waste stream that has the potential to be a resource for other material systems. In this work, we explore the utilization of post-consumer carpet calcium carbonate (PC4) consisting primarily of the material from carpet backing, which has thus far found few markets, as a potential mineral admixture in the production of concrete. | Read Report | mdsc |
| The role of data variability and uncertainty in the probability of mitigating environmental impacts from cement and concrete | Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2021 | Concrete is the most produced manmade material globally. This widespread production results in significant anthropogenic environmental impacts, the awareness of which has spurred advances in material development to lower these burdens. | Read Report | mdsc |
| US industrial sector decoupling of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions under COVID: durability and decarbonization | Sabbie A Miller, Emily Grubert | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Communications | 2021 | The 2020 response to the coronavirus pandemic has had a profound and rapid effect on social behavior, the economy, and consumption. Associated declines in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have prompted calls to action to use the pandemic experience to accelerate decarbonization. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Effects of Leaching Method and Ashing Temperature of Rice Residues for Energy Production and Construction Materials | Patrick R Cunningham, Li Wang, Peter Thy, Bryan M Jenkins, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering | 2021 | Escalating demands for infrastructure materials and energy worldwide necessitate exploration of means to efficiently utilize resources to support growing consumption. This work evaluates the potential symbiotic relationship between cultivation of an agricultural product (namely, rice), energy conversion, and utilization of bioash in the production of cement-based materials to improve the sustainability across multiple industries. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Using internal micro-scale architectures from additive manufacturing to increase material efficiency | Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Valerie R Yanez, Van Willem Medina Peralta, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2021 | Several strategies have been posed to mitigate environmental burdens from plastics manufacturing. Two growing areas of exploration have been the use of bio-derived plastics and the use of material efficiency principles to reduce overall plastics demand. Bio-derived plastics are typically considered to be more environmentally sustainable than their petroleum-based counterparts. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Decarbonizing Affordable Housing: Case Studies on Developer Experiences with New Construction | Sarah Outcault, Ph.D., Eli Alston-Stepnitz, M.A., Angela Sanguinetti, Ph.D., Ashley DePew, and Cinthia Magana | Project Report | 2021 | This report explores stakeholders’ experience developing lower-carbon affordable multi-family housing. Three case communities in California were studied to yield insights about the decisions, challenges, and successes that emerged in the design, financing, operation, and maintenance of the buildings. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Residential Electrification in Sacramento and Its Impact on Residential Appliance Sales | Sarah Outcault, Ashley DePew, Yemi Akoda, and Alan Meier | Project Report | 2021 | The objective of this report is to investigate and quantify the market for appliances related to residential electrification and decarbonization, using the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as a case study. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Circularity of Lithium-Ion Battery Materials in Electric Vehicles | Jessica Dunn, Margaret Slattery, Alissa Kendall, Hanjiro Ambrose, and Shuhan Shen | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Science & Technology | 2021 | Batteries have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from on-road transportation. However, environmental and social impacts of producing lithium-ion batteries, particularly cathode materials, and concerns over material criticality are frequently highlighted as barriers to widespread electric vehicle adoption. Circular economy strategies, like reuse and recycling, can reduce impacts and secure regional supplies. | Read Article | |
| Design Specifications for Indoor Environmental Quality Feedback | Outcault, Sarah; Sanguinetti, Angela; Alston-Stepnitz, Eli | Presentation | Norwegian University of Science and Technology | 2021 | This presentation outlines best practices on IEQ information granularity, building upon the eco-feedback design-behavior framework. | Presentation Slides | mtrp |
| Microhabitats associated with solar energy development alter demography of two desert annuals | Karen E. Tanner, Kara A. Moore‐O’Leary, Ingrid M. Parker, Bruce M. Pavlik, Sophia Haji, Rebecca R. Hernandez | Peer-reviewed Article | Ecological Applications | 2021 | Political and economic initiatives intended to increase energy production while reducing carbon emissions are driving demand for solar energy. Consequently, desert regions are now targeted for development of large‐scale photovoltaic solar energy facilities. Where vegetation communities are left intact or restored within facilities, ground‐mounted infrastructure may have negative impacts on desert‐adapted plants because it creates novel rainfall runoff and shade conditions. | Read Article | |
| Estimating Agricultural Groundwater Withdrawals with Energy Data | Jonathan Martindill, Robert Good, and Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management | 2021 | Agricultural water use is the leading cause of groundwater overdraft in California. However, agencies tasked with managing groundwater resources do not have access to accurate and reliable measurements of groundwater extraction. Previous studies identified a relationship between pump energy consumption and groundwater extraction and indicated that the efficiency lift method (ELM) can produce reliable estimates of groundwater extraction if based on reliable data. Recent advances in the availability of electricity and pump operating condition data have made the ELM viable for estimating large-scale groundwater extraction. | Read Article | |
| Residential solar water heating: California adopters and their experiences | Angela Sanguinetti, Sarah Outcault, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Mithra Moezzi, Aaron Ingle | Peer-reviewed Article | Renewable Energy | 2021 | This research surveyed 227 single-family households with solar water heating across the state of California to understand their motivations and experiences, and draw implications regarding barriers to adoption. The survey explored households’ experiences across five stages of adoption, as outlined in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory: Knowledge, Persuasion, Decision, Implementation, and Confirmation. | Download (Paywall) | mtrp |
| Low-Cost, Large-Diameter Shallow Ground Loops for Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps | Curtis Harrington, Antash Najib, Vinod Narayanan, Mitchal Dichter, David Springer, Michael Slater, Peter Grant, Ada Liu, James Haile, Moncef Krarti, Joseph Huang | Project Report | 2021 | This project developed and validated modeling tools for simulating a ground heat exchanger technology that provides a less expensive method for implementing ground-source heat pumps and significantly reduces energy use in many California climate zones, furthering attainment of California’s energy goals. | Read Report | ||
| Using non-invasive MEMS pressure sensors for measuring building envelope air leakage | Armando Casillas, Mark Modera, Marco Pritoni | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy and Buildings | 2021 | Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensors have seen significant improvements in accuracy and cost over the past several years, and due to the need for altitude sensing in unmanned aerial vehicles and wearable technologies, absolute pressure sensors have shown the most dramatic improvements. This paper investigates applications of MEMS sensors in commercial buildings. | Download (Paywall) | |
| Environmental impacts and decarbonization strategies in the cement and concrete industries | G Habert, SA Miller, VM John, JL Provis, A Favier, A Horvath, KL Scrivener | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment | 2020 | The use of cement and concrete, among the most widely used man-made materials, is under scrutiny. Owing to their large-scale use, production of cement and concrete results in substantial emission of greenhouse gases and places strain on the availability of natural resources, such as water. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Quantitative Assessment of Alkali-Activated Materials: Environmental Impact and Property Assessments | Patrick R Cunningham, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Infrastructure Systems | 2020 | This study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, embodied energy, and air pollutant emissions of alkali-activated mortars and conventional portland cement (PC)-based mortars. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) do not require the use of PC to offer cementitious properties; these materials can valorize industrial waste streams and noncementitious natural resources. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Life cycle environmental impact considerations for structural concrete in transportation infrastructure | SA Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Pavement, Roadway, and Bridge Life Cycle Assessment 2020 | 2020 | Growing demand for infrastructure and its maintenance is resulting in a spike in concrete demand. Concrete is composed of several constituents, including granular rocks (aggregates), water, and cement. Conventional cement contains ground clinker, a kilned and quenched material with notable energy-derived and process-derived greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. | Read Report | mdsc |
| The environmental attributes of wood fiber composites with bio-based or petroleum-based plastics | Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | 2020 | While bio-based composites (bio-based plastics reinforced with natural fibers) have been discussed as potential sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic composites, there are few quantitative environmental impact assessments of these materials. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Technologies and policies to decarbonize global industry: Review and assessment of mitigation drivers through 2070 | Jeffrey Rissman, Chris Bataille, Eric Masanet, Nate Aden, William R Morrow III, Nan Zhou, Neal Elliott, Rebecca Dell, Niko Heeren, Brigitta Huckestein, Joe Cresko, Sabbie A Miller, Joyashree Roy, Paul Fennell, Betty Cremmins, Thomas Koch Blank, David Hone, Ellen D Williams, Stephane de la Rue du Can, Bill Sisson, Mike Williams, John Katzenberger, Dallas Burtraw, Girish Sethi, He Ping, David Danielson, Hongyou Lu, Tom Lorber, Jens Dinkel, Jonas Helseth | Peer-reviewed Article | Applied Energy | 2020 | Fully decarbonizing global industry is essential to achieving climate stabilization, and reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050–2070 is necessary to limit global warming to 2 °C. This paper assembles and evaluates technical and policy interventions, both on the supply side and on the demand side. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Climate and health damages from global concrete production | Sabbie A Miller, Frances C Moore | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Climate Change | 2020 | Growing infrastructure needs worldwide have created an unprecedented demand for concrete. Its production results in high GHG emissions, the primary focus of research and mitigation strategies in the sector. However, emissions of air pollutants and the economic burden of resultant health consequences are not yet known. | Read Report | mdsc |
| The role of cement service-life on the efficient use of resources | Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2020 | The high demand for cement-based materials to support building and infrastructure systems is of growing concern as the production of cement leads to significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and notable resource demand. While improved efficiency of cement use has been proposed as a means to mitigate these burdens, the effects of increasing longevity of cement in-use remains a poorly studied area. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Towards Building Decarbonization: Lessons From Affordable Housing Pioneers | Outcault, Sarah; Sanguinetti, Angela; Alston-Stepnitz, Eli | Presentation | Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference | 2020 | This presentation highlights preliminary findings about stakeholder experience developing, operating and maintaining various types of decarbonized affordable housing. | Presentation Slides | mtrp |
| Towards a Better Understanding of Non-Energy Impacts Associated with Residential Energy Retrofit Projects | Dessouky, N., Outcault, S. & A. Sanguinetti. | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2020 | This paper explores the limitations of methods used by studies on non-energy impacts of energy retrofit projects, and outlines an approach that facilitates more robust comparisons. | Read Paper | mtrp |
| Connected thermostats for low income households: Insights from user testing | Alston-Stepnitz, E., Sanguinetti, A., Peffer, T., & Outcault, S. | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2020 | This paper describes key findings from user testing of a connected thermostat designed for low-income households. | Read Paper | mtrp |
| Aligning Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals With an Innovation Systems Roadmap for Renewable Power | Rebecca R. Hernandez, Sarah M. Jordaan, Ben Kaldunski and Naresh Kumar | Peer-reviewed Article | Frontiers in Sustainability | 2020 | A global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy may mitigate climate change but may also undermine the capacity to achieve some or all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we use an innovation systems approach to construct a comprehensive roadmap for solar and wind energy to anticipate and improve impacts of a transition to a low carbon future in a manner ensuring climate goals and SDGs are mutually reinforcing. | Download (Paywall) | |
| Load shifting at wastewater treatment plants: A case study for participating as an energy demand resource | Erin Musabandesu, Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | Elsevier | 2020 | Energy load shifting can allow for increased renewable energy integration and reduced greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity grid. Recent research has demonstrated that wastewater treatment plants have considerable potential to shift energy loads and act as energy demand resources due to their energetic flexibility and energy production capacity. This paper investigates a wastewater treatment plant in Santa Rosa, California, participating as a demand resource on the wholesale energy market through the proxy demand resource program. | Download (Paywall) | |
| The cost-effectiveness of energy savings through water conservation: a utility-scale assessment | Edward Spang, Soraya Manzor, Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2020 | In a previous study, the energy savings linked to a statewide water conservation mandate in California were found comparable in both resource savings as well as cost-effectiveness to the energy savings achieved directly through energy efficiency programs. This study pursues a similar line of inquiry, but at the scale of an individual city as opposed to a statewide assessment. | Download | |
| Spillovers from Behavioral Interventions: Experimental Evidence from Water and Energy Use | Katrina Jessoe, Gabriel Lade, Frank Loge, Edward Spang | Peer-reviewed Article | University of Chicago Press Journals | 2020 | This paper provides experimental evidence that behavioral interventions spill over to untreated sectors by altering consumer choice. | Download (Paywall) | |
| Water-energy-food security: A Nexus perspective of the current situation in Latin America and the Caribbean | Jürgen Mahlknecht, Ramón González-Bravo, Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | Elsevier | 2020 | To attain sustainable development in Latin Ameica and the Caribbean, where there is a strong dependence on commodity and food price development, priority attention towards energy, water, and food security is critical. In this literature and data analysis, we examined the baseline and trends of resource security based on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus concept. | Download (Paywall) | |
| Improving Ventilation and Indoor Environmental Quality in California Schools | Theresa Pistochini, Caton Mande, Mark Modera, Sarah Outcault, Angela Sanguinetti | Project Report | 2020 | This project developed and demonstrated approaches to synergistically improve ventilation and indoor environmental quality during replacements of packaged heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in California schools. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Reduced ecosystem services of desert plants from ground-mounted solar energy development | Steven M. Grodsky, Rebecca R. Hernandez | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Sustainability | 2020 | Deserts are prioritized as recipient environments for solar energy development; however, the impacts of this development on desert plant communities are unknown. Desert plants represent long-standing ecological, economic and cultural resources for humans, especially indigenous peoples, but their role in supplying ecosystem services (ESs) remains understudied. We measured the effect of solar energy development decisions on desert plants at one of the world’s largest concentrating solar power plants. | Read Article | |
| An Experimentally Validated Model of a Cross-Flow Sub-Wet Bulb Evaporative Chiller | Yahui Yang, Vinod Narayanan, Theresa Pistochini, Derrick Ross | Peer-reviewed Article | Thermal Science and Engineering Applications | 2020 | A simplified model to predict the performance of a novel sub-wet bulb evaporative chiller (SWEC) for producing chilled water is presented. The SWEC design uses a daisy-chained arrangement of cross-flow heat exchangers (HXs) with evaporative media located in between the heat exchangers to chill water below the outdoor wet bulb temperature (WB) in either a one-pass or two-pass arrangement. | Read Report | |
| Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Using Functional Storage Options in California | Nelson Dichter | Technical Report | 2020 | This research investigates the potential impact thermal energy storage systems can have on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by shifting the electric load associated with vapor-compression systems from peak to off-peak hours. | Read Report | ||
| Simulated solar panels create altered microhabitats in desert landforms | Tanner, Karen E; Moore‚ O'Leary, Kara A; Parker, Ingrid M; Pavlik, Bruce M; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Project Report | Ecological Society of America Journal | 2020 | Solar energy development is a significant driver of land use change worldwide, and desert ecosystems are particularly well suited to energy production because of their high insolation rates. Deserts are also characterized by uncertain rainfall, high species endemism, and distinct landforms that vary in geophysical properties. Weather and physical features that differ across landforms interact with shade and water runoff regimes imposed by solar panels, creating novel microhabitats that influence biotic communities. Endemic species may be particularly affected because they often have limited distributions, narrow climatic envelopes, or specialized life histories. | Download | |
| Testing, Adjusting and Balancing HVAC Systems: An Overview of Certification Agencies | Fredrick Meyers, Theresa Pistochini | Project Report | 2020 | In this report, we examine the benefits of using a certified contractor for TAB and describe the three main certifying agencies and differences between them. | Download | ||
| The Landscape of Residential Solar Water Heating in California | Mithra Moezzi, Aaron Ingle, Loren Lutzenhiser | Project Report | 2020 | Despite the long history of solar thermal water heating, the literature on its use is scattered, siloed, and uneven in coverage. This report outlines the “landscape” of solar water heating for single-family residences in California, covering technologies, the supply chain and marketplace, households as purchasers and users, and data sources. | Download | mtrp | |
| Transient simultaneous heat and mass transfer model to estimate drying time in a wetted fur of a cow | Elizabeth Chen, Vinod Narayanan, Theresa Pistochini, Erfan Rasouli | Peer-reviewed Article | Biosystems Engineering | 2020 | To reduce heat stress that contributes to complications in milk production and breeding, dairy cows are typically cooled by intermittent water sprays coupled with fan-induced air flow. Industry currently utilises fixed duration on and off-cycles; however, water efficiency may be improved by matching the sprinkler off-time to the cow drying time that corresponds to current outdoor environmental conditions. Electricity use can also be reduced by varying fan speeds to achieve the required heat rejection rate for a given set of conditions. To achieve savings in water and electricity, a transient, one-dimensional simultaneous heat and mass transfer model of evaporation within the wetted fur layer of a dairy cows was developed to estimate drying time and heat rejection rate based on ambient conditions. | Read Article | |
| The Land Sparing, Water Surface Use Efficiency, and Water Surface Transformation of Floating Photovoltaic Solar Energy Installations | Alexander Cagle, Alona Armstrong, Giles Exley, Steven Grodsky, Jordan Macknick, John Sherwin and Rebecca Hernandez | Peer-reviewed Article | sustainability | 2020 | Floating photovoltaic solar energy installations (FPVs) represent a new type of water surface use, potentially sparing land needed for agriculture and conservation. However, standardized metrics for the land sparing and resource use efficiencies of FPVs are absent. These metrics are critical to understanding the environmental and ecological impacts that FPVs may potentially exhibit. Here, we compared techno-hydrological and spatial attributes of four FPVs spanning different climatic regimes. Next, we defined and quantified the land sparing and water surface use efficiency (WSUE) of each FPV. Lastly, we coined and calculated the water surface transformation (WST) using generation data at the world’s first FPV (Far Niente Winery, California). The four FPVs spare 59,555 m2 of land and have a mean land sparing ratio of 2.7:1 m2 compared to ground-mounted PVs. Mean direct and total capacity-based WSUE is 94.5 ± 20.1 SD Wm−2 and 35.2 ± 27.4 SD Wm−2, respectively. Direct and total generation-based WST at Far Niente is 9.3 and 13.4 m2 MWh−1 yr−1, respectively; 2.3 times less area than ground-mounted utility-scale PVs. Our results reveal diverse techno-hydrological and spatial attributes of FPVs, the capacity of FPVs to spare land, and the utility of WSUE and WST metrics. | Read Article | |
| Environmental impacts of alternative cement binders | Sabbie A Miller, Rupert J Myers | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Science & Technology | 2019 | Cement production is among the most difficult industrial activities to decarbonize. Various measures have been proposed and explored to reduce its CO2 emissions. Among these measures, the substitution of portland cement (PC) clinker with alternative materials is arguably the most effective, and consequently is an area of high research and commercial interest. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Eco-efficient design indices for reinforced concrete members | Pouria Kourehpaz, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Materials and Structures | 2019 | The production of cement, the primary binder in concrete, is resulting in notable environmental impacts worldwide. It has been argued that efficient use of cement in concrete and the efficient design of concrete components can be a means for reducing the impacts from these materials by lowering overall demand. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Hydrothermal aging of bio-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA) wood polymer composites: Studies on sorption behavior, morphology, and heat conductance | Kanotha Kamau-Devers, Zachary Kortum, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2019 | This work examines the moisture sorption, the morphology, and the thermal conductivity of fully bio-based composites, namely wood flour (WF) filled poly(lactic acid) (PLA), to better understand hydrothermal deterioration and potential for long-term application. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Rice-based ash in concrete: A review of past work and potential environmental sustainability | Sabbie A Miller, Patrick R Cunningham, John T Harvey | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2019 | The demand for concrete continues to grow with increases in population and increased urbanization. This demand, in turn, increases the need to reduce the environmental impacts of concrete while continuing to provide the same or better performance. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Electrical Energy Storage and Energy Management System for the Sustainable City in Dubai | Park, J.W., Rahman, M., Lacap, J., Wikler, K., Outcault, S., Sanguinetti, A., Nassar, H. & A. Safwat | Project Report | 2019 | This paper examines the technical requirements for an electrical energy storage system for The Sustainable City of Dubai. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Energy Consumption in Campus Buildings When No One is Around | Alexander Joseph Sloan | Master's Thesis | 2019 | This study introduced a new methodology to estimate how often regularly-inhabited buildings are vacant and the electricity consumed during these times. | Read Report | ||
| Building Leakage Diagnosis Using IoT Enabled MEMS Sensors | Armando Casillas | Master's Thesis | 2019 | A new method that determines building-specific envelope and duct leakage with minimal disruption to normal building operationshas been identified. The methodology utilizes an array ofMicro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) absolute pressure, temperature and humidity sensors placed at key building and ductwork locations,and makesuse ofmass/species conservation and flow characterization equations. The “MEMS protocol”was applied to a dataset aggregated from a series of controlled tests performed over a 3-month period in a building on the UC Davis campus. | Read Report | ||
| Beyond 100% Renewable: Policy and Practical Pathways to 24/7 Renewable Energy Procurement | Gregory Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | The Electricity Journal | 2019 | Corporations are increasingly shaping the future of the electric grid by pursuing 100% renewable energy goals that seek to match their annual energy consumption with an equal volume of renewable energy. The challenge of achieving a 100% renewable electricity grid, however, is not only a question of how much renewable energy is built, but rather whether renewables can supply electricity when it is needed. One emerging approach to address this challenge is a 24/7 renewable energy which requires matching a corporation's hourly energy demand with renewable energy produced in the same region and hour. | Download | |
| Developer-Driven Sustainable Communities: Lessons from a Case Study of The Sustainable City in Dubai | Sanguinetti, Angela; Alan Meier; Nermin Dessouky; and Sarah Outcault | Peer-reviewed Article | European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy | 2019 | In Dubai, a private developer conceived, built, and now manages, a gated community called The Sustainable City (TSC), with more than 2,000 residents, shops, a school, and a hotel. TSC was purpose-built to consume almost no energy and be especially frugal with water, harnessing cutting-edge technologies and green building practices to promise residents both efficiency and luxury. | Read Article | mtrp |
| Dressing for the Anthropocene | Poskanzer, Deborah, Alan Meier, Chinmayee Subban, and Margarita Kloss | Peer-reviewed Article | European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy | 2019 | As the world gets hotter, we are caught in a dilemma between the need to maintain thermal comfort, while at the same time reducing the use of air conditioning (AC) as a source of GHG emissions. AC has been, and will continue to be, a major driver of growing electricity demand. Space cooling in buildings accounts for 10% of world total electricity use and 12% of building CO2 emissions. | Read Article | |
| Emerging Zero-Standby Solutions for Miscellaneous Electric Loads and the Internet of Things | Gerber, Daniel L., Alan Meier, Richard Liou, and Robert Hosbach | Peer-reviewed Article | Electronics | 2019 | Despite technical advances in efficiency, devices in standby continue to consume up to 16% of residential electricity. Finding practical, cost-effective reductions is difficult. While the per-unit power consumption has fallen, the number of units continuously drawing power continues to grow. This work reviews a family of technologies that can eliminate standby consumption in many types of electrical plug loads. It also investigates several solutions in detail and develops prototypes. First, burst mode and sleep transistors are established as building blocks for zero-standby solutions. This work then studies the application of two types of wake-up signals. | Read Article | |
| Hare don't care! Consumption of a rare, desert milkweed containing phytochemicals by the black-tailed jackrabbit | Grodsky, Steven M; Saul-Gershenz, Leslie S; Moore-O’Leary, Kara A; Whitney, Jason P; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Arid Environments | 2019 | We recorded video providing the first conclusive evidence that the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) consumes Mojave milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia) containing phytochemicals in the Ivanpah Valley, Mojave Desert, California, USA. We discuss possible chemical and biological interactions between the black-tailed jackrabbit and Mojave milkweed. | Download | |
| How South Carolina's Electric Cooperatives Build Capacity Through Multi-Level Governance | Keith Taylor, Sarah Outcault | Project Report | 2019 | Electric cooperatives serve over 40 million consumers in the United States, and have a history stretching back eight decades. Historically, the provision of high-quality electricity services at the lowest possible wholesale price to its distribution cooperative members might have proven sufficient to declare generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives a success. But electric cooperatives‚ business and governance models are facing new pressures as distributed energy technologies evolve and emerge; consumer-member preferences shift; and the economics of electric utilities changes regarding the cost structures of nuclear, coal, natural gas, and utility-scale renewables. | Download | mtrp | |
| Non-Invasive Assessments of Thermal Discomfort in Real Time | Meier, Alan, Xiaogang Cheng, William Dyer, Graham Chris, Thomas Olofsson, and Bin Yang | Conference Paper | 2019 | People make distinctive gestures or movements when they are thermally uncomfortable, for example self-hugging when uncomfortably cold or brow-wiping when hot. Extreme thermal conditions reinforce this tendency. These gestures may be affected by various competing motivations such as emotional or physiological responses and cultural traditions. Several software applications can now identify and track movements of a person’s skeletal joints or keypoints in real time; these include hands, arms, elbows, head, etc.. A procedure was created to identify gestures related to thermal discomfort and then to decide if a person is uncomfortably warm or cold. When a discomfort-related gesture is detected, it is scored based on the type of gesture and recognition confidence. This score is fed into a “Thermal Comfort Index” (TCI). | Read Article | ||
| Real-time and contactless measurements of thermal discomfort based on human poses for energy efficient control of buildings | Bin Yang, Xiaogang Cheng, Dengxin Dai, Thomas Oloffsson, Haibo Li, Alan Meier | Peer-reviewed Article | Building and Environment | 2019 | Individual thermal discomfort perception gives important feedback signals for energy efficient control of building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. However, there is few effective method to measure thermal discomfort status of occupants in a real-time and contactless way. A novel method based on contactless measurements of human thermal discomfort status was presented. | Read Article (paywall) | |
| Renewable Energy Ecology | Grodsky, Steven M; Fritts, Sarah R; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Book | 2019 | The progression of renewable energy enterprises and their physical manifestations (hereafter collectively referred to as ‚renewable energy development) is a critical wildlife conservation issue. This book provides a foundation on which wildlife professionals and researchers can build their understanding of renewable energy and wildlife conservation in theory and practice. | |||
| Solar Water Heating Assessment Project: Understanding and Improving Effectiveness for California Households | Mithra Moezzi, Aaron Ingle, Sarah Outcault, Angela Sanguinetti, Loren Lutzenhiser, Hal Wilhite, James D. Lutz, Alan Meier, and Jennifer Kutzleb | Project Report | 2019 | Solar thermal water heaters are an old technology used a century ago in California. They are now used extensively, in updated form, in many countries. According to government and industry estimates, well-functioning solar water heaters can theoretically displace 50 to 80 percent of the output of a natural gas-fueled household water heater, depending how hot water usage aligns with production and storage capacities. | Download | mtrp | |
| Market Intelligence? Eliciting valuable information from non-expert stakeholders | Outcault, S. | Presentation | Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference | 2019 | Lessons from a series of stakeholder surveys and interviews on priorities for distributed energy resources are presented. | Presentation Slides | mtrp |
| Techno-ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability | Hernandez, Rebecca R.; Armstrong, Alona; Burney, Jennifer; Ryan, Greer; Moore-O'leary, Kara; Di√©dhou, Ibrahima; Grodsky, Steven M.; Saul-Gershenz, Leslie; Davis, R; Macknick, Jordan; | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature | 2019 | The strategic engineering of solar energy technologies‚ from individual rooftop modules to large solar energy power plants‚ can confer significant synergistic outcomes across industrial and ecological boundaries. Here, we propose techno‚Äìecological synergy (TES), a framework for engineering mutually beneficial relationships between technological and ecological systems, as an approach to augment the sustainability of solar energy across a diverse suite of recipient environments, including land, food, water, and built-up systems. | Download | |
| Using data from connected thermostats to track large power outages in the United States | Alan Meier, Tsuyoshi Ueno, Marco Pritoni | Peer-reviewed Article | Applied Energy | 2019 | The detection of power outages is an essential activity for electric utilities. A large, national dataset of Internet-connected thermostats was used to explore and illustrate the ability of Internet-connected devices to geospatially track outages caused by hurricanes and other major weather events. The method was applied to nine major outage events, including hurricanes and windstorms. In one event, Hurricane Irma, a network of about 1,000 thermostats provided quantitatively similar results to detailed utility data with respect to the number of homes without power and identification of the most severely affected regions. The method generated regionally uniform outage data that would give emergency authorities additional visibility into the scope and magnitude of outages. The network of thermostat-sensors also made it possible to calculate a higher resolution version of outage duration (or SAIDI) at a level of customer-level visibility that was not previously available. | Download | |
| Carbon dioxide reduction potential in the global cement industry by 2050 | Sabbie A Miller, Vanderley M John, Sergio A Pacca, Arpad Horvath | Peer-reviewed Article | Cement and Concrete Research | 2018 | This paper, which is a contribution to the UNEP series on Eco-Efficient Cements, examines the role of material-based solutions to reducing CO2 emissions from cement production considering factors that could influence implementation. Global urbanization has led to an increase in demand for cement and cement-based materials. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Natural fiber textile reinforced bio-based composites: Mechanical properties, creep, and environmental impacts | Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2018 | With rising demand for construction materials, so too grow the environmental impacts associated with their production. This trend has raised interest in the development of bio-based composites as environmentally favorable alternatives to conventional materials. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Reducing greenhouse gas emissions for prescribed concrete compressive strength | Chao Fan, Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2018 | Often, when proportioning “green” concrete mixtures, the use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) is deemed to be favorable. While appearing more in the literature, it is still not commonplace that design strength is considered in assessments of environmental impacts. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Supplementary cementitious materials to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from concrete: can there be too much of a good thing? | Sabbie A Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2018 | Among the many possible strategies for reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is reduction of emissions associated with the production of concrete, which is responsible for 8–9% of global anthropognic GHG emissions. Using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete to offset demand for clinker in cement is a commonly proposed method to cut GHG emissions from concrete production. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Impacts of booming concrete production on water resources worldwide | Sabbie A Miller, Arpad Horvath, Paulo JM Monteiro | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Sustainability | 2018 | Concrete is the most-used construction material worldwide. Previous studies on the environmental impacts of concrete production have mainly focused on the materials involved and energy consumption, as well as CO2 emissions; little is known, however, about its water consumption as well as the effective measures to reduce such consumption. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Using social dynamics to explain uptake in energy saving measures: Lessons from space conditioning interventions in Japan and California | Outcault, S., Sanguinetti, A. & M. Pritoni. | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Research & Social Science | 2018 | This paper examines the intersection of the social attributes of cooling measures and the prevailing social dynamics within households. A game-theoretical model is developed to illustrate how the varied combinations of measure attributes and social dynamics can yield different cooling strategies across households. | Read Article | mtrp |
| WEMap: A Software Tool for Estimating Water Utility Energy Savings from Water Conservation | Edward Spang, Andrew Holguin, Frank Loge | Research Paper | 2018 | The water sector demands significant energy inputs to deliver safe and reliable water to urban communities. It follows that water conservation efforts can lead to measurable upstream reductions in energy use, as well as complementary reductions in operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the complexity of many urban water infrastructure networks produces a high level of seasonal and spatial variability of the energy embedded in the water delivered across the utility service territory. | Download | ||
| Electrifying Last Mile Deliveries: The Case of Parcel Delivery Fleets | Leticia Del Pilar Pineda Blanco | Master's Thesis | 2018 | Trucking is a key component of the freight sector, which is an important contributor to the California economy, but also contributes to externalities associated with climate and local emissions, congestion, and noise, among others. This work assesses alternative technologies using real driving data for parcel delivery fleets and evaluates the role of monetary incentives in California. | Read Report | ||
| Hydrogen Energy Storage for Renewable-Intensive Electricity Grids: A WECC Case Study | Zane Logan McDonald | Master's Thesis | 2018 | This research project investigates the feasibility and energy system costs and benefits of hydrogen energy storage (HES) integrated with the electricity grid. This analysis aims to illuminate the impacts of responsive water electrolysis in high-renewable penetration electricity grids to convert renewable electricity into low-carbon hydrogen. This process has the potential to help balance the electric grid while providing an energy carrier that could be used in diverse energy applications. | Read Report | ||
| Aligning Occupant Behavior with ZNE Community Goals and Assumptions: Quantifying and Leveraging Behavioral Plasticity | Angela Sanguinetti, Sarah Outcault, Alan Meier | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2018 | In residential communities designed for energy efficiency, do the occupants take an active role in conserving energy, or leave it up to the home itself? We examined cooling practices in a new, low-energy development, located in one of the hottest climates in the world. The Sustainable City (TSC) in Dubai attracts individuals from across the globe, with varying cultures, values, attitudes, and habits. TSC staff promote a culture of sustainability, but there are challenges in achieving zero net energy (ZNE). Data on household energy consumption were collected from residents and household staff through in-person interviews and an online survey. We found evidence of a wide range of occupant values and cooling strategies. Many residents came from cooler regions in the world and were unfamiliar with cooling practices and technologies in their homes. We identified opportunities to leverage behavioral plasticity - i.e., residents' capacity to shift everyday practices - to save energy. This study suggests a framework for aligning occupant behavior with the goals and values embodied in sustainably-built communities. Specifically, designers and managers of sustainable communities need to educate, motivate, and support residents in order to encourage the specific energy-conserving practices required for sustainable buildings to achieve their technical potential. | Read Article | mtrp |
| Builder-Installed Electrical Loads: Parts of the House That Stay On and On | Meier, Alan; Leo Rainer; and Aditya Khandekar | Peer-reviewed Article | Home Energy | 2018 | Not too many years ago, when you unplugged all the appliances in a home the doorbell transformer was the only device still drawing power. That is no longer true‚ as a host of devices now draw power before anybody moves in. The most common devices include ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), garage door openers, and hardwired smoke alarms. | Read Article | |
| Climate Change and Garage Door Openers | Meier, Alan | Other | Home Energy | 2018 | California just approved legislation requiring all new garage door openers to have battery backups, so that doors would open even when electricity service is interrupted. The legislation SB 969 sailed through with almost no opposition. Curiously, the only group to oppose the bill was the industry responsible for garage doors, the people most likely to benefit from it. What is going on here, and what does this have to do with climate change and home energy? More than you might imagine. | Read Article | |
| Electrifying Last Mile Deliveries: The Case of Parcel Delivery Fleets | Leticia Blanco | Master's Thesis | 2018 | This work assesses alternative technologies using real driving data for parcel delivery fleets and evaluates the role of monetary incentives in California. The analyses show that electric trucks are a technically feasible and the cleanest alternative in California in terms of petroleum use, greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants; however, they require economic incentives to support a transition to a cleaner freight transportation system. | Download | ||
| Everyone Has a Peer in the Low User Tier: The Diversity of Low Residential Energy Users | Deumling, Reuben, Deborah Poskanzer, and Alan Meier | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Efficiency | 2018 | Low residential energy use is typically associated with undesirable characteristics, such as poverty, thermal discomfort, or small dwelling size. The association of low energy use with deprivation has been an obstacle to promoting more aggressive goals for reduction of residential use. However, there is little research on the composition of the low user population. We investigated the demographics, behavior, and satisfaction of the lowest 10% of electricity consumers in Sacramento, CA, to see what attributes best correlated with low use. | Read Article | |
| Hydrogen Energy Storage for Renewable-Intensive Electricity Grids: A WECC Case Study | Zane McDonald | Master's Thesis | 2018 | Electricity grid operation requires balancing supply and demand for electricity on a continuous basis. The primary option for dealing with the variability in renewable energy generation is to maintain a significant capacity of backup/standby peak generation. Still, offpeak renewable electric production is sometimes curtailed because it cannot be economically used or captured. Low cost, efficient energy storage could enable optimized allocation of intermittent electric generation resources to high-value markets. This research project investigates the feasibility and energy system costs and benefits of hydrogen energy storage (HES) integrated with the electricity grid. | Download | ||
| MANY SHADES OF GREEN: Establishing a Culture of Sustainability in a Diverse, Developer-Driven Expatriate Community | Dessouky, Nermin, Angela Sanguinetti, Alan Meier, Sarah Outcault, and Richard Tutwiler | Peer-reviewed Article | Community | 2018 | We are a team of researchers from The University of California, Davis, and The American University of Cairo, investigating ways to promote a culture of sustainability in planned communities. We have been studying TSC for three years and observing how the community has been evolving over time. It is our assertion that although TSC is a large-scale developer-led community, it illustrates the ways in which the intention of a community is integral to sustainable lifestyles. We will discuss how some aspects of TSC's design and management promote, or present challenges to, the community's culture of sustainability. | Read Article | mtrp |
| Solar Energy Development and the Biosphere | Murphy-Mariscal, Michelle; Grodsky, Steven M; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Peer-reviewed Article | A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems | 2018 | Although solar energy can undoubtedly contribute to global deep decarbonization and mitigation of climate change through emissions reductions, the potential for ecological impacts from large installations on the ground merits further discussion. Solar energy development, particularly large and ground-mounted solar energy installations in natural or other types of environments with biophysical capacity may function as a contemporary, anthropogenic driver of disturbance and land-use and land-cover change. | Read Paper | |
| Turning Paris into Reality at the University of California | Victor, David G., Ahmed Abdulla, David Auston, Wendell Brase, Jack Brouwer, Karl Brown, Steven J. Davis | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature | 2018 | The Paris Agreement highlights the need for local climate leadership. The University Of California's approach to deep decarbonization offers lessons in efficiency, alternative fuels and electrification. Bending the emissions curve globally requires efforts that blend academic insights with practical solutions. | Read Article | |
| University of California Strategies for Decarbonization: Replacing Natural Gas | Meier, Alan, Steven J. Davis, David G. Victor, Karl Brown, Lisa McNeilly, Mark Modera, Rebecca Zarin Pass, Jordan Sager, David Weil, and David Auston | Project Report | 2018 | Having pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025, the University of California has embarked on a large-scale effort to evaluate options for achieving this goal. For UC, the central challenge to deep decarbonization lies in reducing and, perhaps, ultimately eliminating the use of natural gas, a fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane. Nearly all CO2emissions (96%) from UC operations come from direct combustion of natural gas (Scope 1 emission) and from purchased electricity generated from fossil fuels (Scope 2 emission). Therefore, a cost-effective exit strategy for conventional natural gas is vital to achieving the carbon neutrality goal. The UC carbon neutrality goal does not include Scope 3 emissions, which are other emissions indirectly related to the University activities, such as from gasoline burned in employee-owned vehicles. | Read Article | ||
| Towards sustainable concrete | PJM Monteiro, SA Miller, A Horvath | Peer-reviewed Article | Nature Materials | 2017 | Paulo J. M. Monteiro, Sabbie A. Miller and Arpad Horvath provide an overview of the challenges and accomplishments in reducing the environmental burden of concrete production. | Read Paper (Paywall) | mdsc |
| Energy Efficiency Measures in Affordable Zero Net Energy Housing: A Case Study of the UC Davis 2015 Solar Decathlon Home | Payman Alemi and Frank Loge | Peer-reviewed Article | Elsevier | 2017 | The 2015 UC Davis Solar Decathlon Team designed and constructed an affordable zero net energy prototype home for California (CA) farmworkers. Each major energy-efficient feature of the home was separately analyzed to gauge its energy savings impact. | Download (Paywall) | |
| Allometric equations and carbon stocks in tree biomass of Jatropha curcas L. in Senegal’s Peanut Basin | Diédhiou, I; Diallo, D; Mbengue, A; Hernandez, RR; Bayala, R; Diéme, R; Diédhiou, PM; Sène, A; | Peer-reviwed Journal Article | Global Ecology and Conservation | 2017 | In Senegal, numerous initiatives exist to cultivate Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) trees as a multipurpose energy crop, including for fuel. Thus, research on this drought-resistant shrub has been predominately focused on biofuel production from its seeds, while its potential for carbon (C) sequestration, which could be valuable in sink projects (i.e., afforestation, reforestation) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto protocol, has been largely unstudied. This study was carried out in Senegal’s Peanut basin to develop allometric equations for estimating biomass of individual JCL shrubs, JCL plantations, and determining their respective C storage potential. We discovered a three-stage evolution of JCL biomass accumulation. | Read Paper | |
| From butterflies to Bighorns: Multi-dimensional species-species and species-process interactions may inform sustainable solar energy development in desert ecosystems | Grodsky, Steven M; Moore-O‚ÄôLeary, Kara A; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Peer-reviewed Article | 2017 | Favorable environmental conditions and abundant public lands (eg, Bureau of Land Management) may make deserts of the southwest United States the ideal recipient environment for solar energy development (BLM 2012, Hernandez et al. 2015). Although solar energy may help advance decarbonization, sensitive desert ecosystems may be imperiled by solar energy development (Lovich and Ennen 2011). For example, construction of solar facilities creates a series of biophysical disturbances, including grading of soils and vegetation removal, which in turn may affect biota via a bottom-up‚ trophic interactions (eg, degraded soils‚Üdecreased plant growth‚ reduced food and cover for wildlife; Hernandez et al. 2014b). Meanwhile, aridland Southwest ecosystems support exceptional biodiversity and many endemic, threatened and endangered species already stressed by climate change (Lovich and Bainbridge 1999, Mittermeier et al. 2001). | Read Paper | ||
| Land-Sparing Opportunities for Solar Energy Development in Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of the Great Central Valley, CA, United States | Hoffacker, Madison K; Allen, Michael F; Hernandez, Rebecca R; | Case Study | ACS Journal | 2017 | Land-cover change from energy development, including solar energy, presents trade-offs for land used for the production of food and the conservation of ecosystems. Solar energy plays a critical role in contributing to the alternative energy mix to mitigate climate change and meet policy milestones; however, the extent that solar energy development on nonconventional surfaces can mitigate land scarcity is understudied. Here, we evaluate the land sparing potential of solar energy development across four nonconventional land-cover types: the built environment, salt-affected land, contaminated land, and water reservoirs (as floatovoltaics), within the Great Central Valley (CV, CA), a globally significant agricultural region where land for food production, urban development, and conservation collide. | Read Case Study | |
| Occupant Thermal Feedback for Improved Efficiency in University Buildings | Marco Pritoni, Kiernan Salmon, Angela Sanguinetti, Joshua Morejohn, Mark Modera | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy and Buildings | 2017 | Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are responsible for more than half of the energy consumed in many buildings on university campuses in the US. Despite the significant amount of energy spent on HVAC operations, thermal comfort conditions in campus buildings are frequently poor. Faulty assumptions or a lack of data regarding occupant comfort can lead to energy waste from overheating or overcooling. Additionally, inadequate operational procedures and outdated technology make it difficult for occupant needs to inform temperature management. For example, campuses frequently use work order systems to manage temperature issues, but this process is slow and not widely used by students, i.e., the majority of building occupants. | Read Article (paywall) | mtrp |
| Sustainability of utility‚Äêscale solar energy‚Äìcritical ecological concepts | Moore‚O'Leary, Kara A; Hernandez, Rebecca R; Johnston, Dave S; Abella, Scott R; Tanner, Karen E; Swanson, Amanda C; Kreitler, Jason; Lovich, Jeffrey E; | Peer-reviewed Article | 2017 | Renewable energy development is an arena where ecological, political, and socioeconomic values collide. Advances in renewable energy will incur steep environmental costs to landscapes in which facilities are constructed and operated. Scientists-including those from academia, industry, and government agencies-have only recently begun to quantify trade-off in this arena, often using ground-mounted, utility-scale solar energy facilities (1 megawatt) as a model. Here, we discuss five critical ecological concepts applicable to the development of more sustainable USSE with benefits over fossil-fuel-generated energy. | Read Paper | ||
| Upscaling Participatory Thermal Sensing: Lessons from an Interdisciplinary Case Study at University of California for Improving Campus Efficiency and Comfort | Angela Sanguinetti, Marco Pritoni, Kiernan Salmon, Alan Meier, Joshua Morejohn | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Research &Social Science | 2017 | Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is responsible for most of the energy consumed in many university buildings, which are still often uncomfortable for occupants. Previous research suggests crowdsourcing thermal comfort feedback from occupants, called participatory thermal sensing (PTS), and incorporating it into the HVAC control system can improve energy efficiency and comfort simultaneously. Most PTS research has focused on automated closed-loop systems whereby occupant feedback is automatically integrated into HVAC operations, but such systems are difficult to scale. | Download | mtrp |
| Teacher knows best? Balancing energy savings, air quality, and comfort in California’s schools | Outcault, S. | Presentation | Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference | 2017 | Summarizes findings from a teacher survey on classroom air quality. | Presentation Slides | mtrp |
| Concrete mixture proportioning for desired strength and reduced global warming potential | Sabbie A Miller, Paulo JM Monteiro, Claudia P Ostertag, Arpad Horvath | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2016 | In this research, formulae for predicting compressive strength and global warming potential (GWP) per cubic meter of concrete are proposed. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Influence of carbon feedstock on potentially net beneficial environmental impacts of bio-based composites | Sabbie A Miller, Sarah L Billington, Michael D Lepech | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2016 | Natural fiber composites are of increasing interest in research because of their potential to provide a low environmental impact material for applications, such as in the construction industry. In this analysis, fully bio-based composites with varying natural fiber reinforcement in a biosynthesized polymer matrix were assessed. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Readily implementable techniques can cut annual CO2 emissions from the production of concrete by over 20% | Sabbie A Miller, Arpad Horvath, Paulo JM Monteiro | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2016 | Due to its prevalence in modern infrastructure, concrete is experiencing the most rapid increase in consumption among globally common structural materials; however, the production of concrete results in approximately 8.6% of all anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Comparison indices for design and proportioning of concrete mixtures taking environmental impacts into account | Sabbie A Miller, Paulo JM Monteiro, Claudia P Ostertag, Arpad Horvath | Peer-reviewed Article | Cement and Concrete Composites | 2016 | As awareness and concern for greenhouse gas emissions grow, methods for reducing a significant industrial emission source, the production of cement for use in concrete, have been appearing. Assessments of these methods typically do not take into account the influence of material properties and environmental impacts concurrently. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Can you take the heat? A cross-national comparison of thermal comfort strategies and energy-saving field experiments | Outcault, S. Pritoni, M., Heinemeier, K., and A. Mikami. | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2016 | This paper presents the findings of a pair of randomized control trial to encourage the use of passive cooling techniques in Japan and the U.S. | Download Paper | mtrp |
| Assessing Players, Products, and Perceptions of Home Energy Management | Rebecca Ford; Beth Karlin; Angela Sanguinetti; Anna Nersesyan; Marco Pritoni | Project Report | 2016 | The technologies that make up Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS), providing users with information, feedback and/or control of household energy usage, are developing in a rapidly growing market within the broader smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) space. As developments create more and more energy saving products with increasing functionality, new strategies must be developed for engaging with end-users (both before adoption and after) in order to fully leverage these technologies for the energy reduction and load shifting capabilities they offer. | Download | mtrp | |
| Fuel Consumption Impacts of Auto Roof Racks | Chen, Yuche, and Alan Meier | Peer-reviewed Article | Energy Policy | 2016 | The after-market roof rack is one of the most common components attached to a vehicle for carrying over-sized items, such as bicycles and skis. It is important to understand these racks' fuel consumption impacts on both individual vehicles and the national fleet because they are widely used. We estimate the national fuel consumption impacts of roof racks using a bottom-up approach. | Read Article | |
| How Do Small Businesses Experience Energy Reports? | Laura Cornish, Beth Karlin, Angela Sanguinetti, Jason Kaufman | Conference paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2016 | How do small businesses experience energy reports that benchmark their performance relative to similar businesses and provide recommendations to save energy? There is a large body of research focused on energy feedback in the residential sector, but significantly less in the commercial sector. Studies in both sectors have focused on the effectiveness of feedback in terms of savings outcomes, while relatively little is known about how customers experience the interface itself. This paper presents a synthesis of results from a series of user research studies conducted with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada, the United States, and Australia. | Download | mtrp |
| The Iterative Design of a University Energy Dashboard | Angela Sanguinetti, Marco Pritoni, Kiernan Salmon, Joshua Morejohn | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2016 | Energy dashboards are monitoring and display systems that provide information about building energy use. Dashboards may provide information, alarms, and complex trends to support engineers in identifying energy inefficiencies in a building. Public interfaces may contain simpler trends, with a greater focus on aesthetics and framing of content to promote interest and engagement. | Download | mtrp |
| TherMOOstat: Occupant Feedback to Improve Comfort and Efficiency on a University Campus | Angela Sanguinetti, Marco Pritoni, Kiernan Salmon, Joshua Morejohn | Conference Paper | ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings | 2016 | Despite the significant amount of energy spent on Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) at universities, thermal comfort conditions in campus buildings are frequently poor. Conventional HVAC management systems at universities are typically out of the hands of building occupants and facilities management departments have limited resources to involve them. These factors can lead to over-heating or over-cooling and undiagnosed mechanical issues. | Download | mtrp |
| Greenhouse gas emissions from concrete can be reduced by using mix proportions, geometric aspects, and age as design factors | Sabbie A Miller, Arpad Horvath, Paulo JM Monteiro, Claudia P Ostertag | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Research Letters | 2015 | With increased awareness of the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the significant contribution from the cement industry, research efforts are being advanced to reduce the impacts associated with concrete production and consumption. | Read Report | mdsc |
| A Framework for Engineering Sustainable Composites Based on Time-Dependent Material Properties and Environmental Impact Assessments: An Application to Bio-Based Composite Design | Sabbie A Miller, Michael D Lepech, Sarah L Billington | Project Report | 2015 | Improved design measures for civil engineering materials are necessary to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. Over the last century buildings have been one of the largest consumers of materials. Due to growing material demands in the construction industry associated with increased global population and economic demands, it is imperative that research on designing materials use sustainability metrics in conjunction with performance metrics. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| Integrating durability-based service-life predictions with environmental impact assessments of natural fiber–reinforced composite materials | Sabbie A Miller, Wil V Srubar III, Sarah L Billington, Michael D Lepech | Peer-reviewed Article | Resources, Conservation and Recycling | 2015 | As concern about resource conservation has grown, research efforts have increased to develop materials out of rapidly renewable constituents, to assess their life cycle environmental impacts, and to predict their service-life performance. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Static versus Time-Dependent Material Selection Charts and Application in Wood Flour Composites | Sabbie A Miller, Michael D Lepech, Sarah L Billington | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy | 2015 | With growing concern about the sustainability of materials, research efforts have increased in advancing material selection and design methods to incorporate environmental impact metrics. However, these tools typically are based on initial properties, which are assumed to remain static during the duration of material use and do not account for time-dependent material properties. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Characterization and Potential of Home Energy Management (HEM) Technology | Beth Karlin; Rebecca Ford; Angela Sanguinetti; Cassandra Squiers; John Gannon; Mukund Rajukumar; Kat A. Donnelly | Project Report | 2015 | The Home Energy Management (HEM) market is rapidly expanding alongside substantial investments to improve energy efficiency and upgrade electricity infrastructure to a smart grid. These changes enable consumers to take greater control of their energy use, which can be enabled through the use of Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS). | Download | mtrp | |
| Circumvention Through the Years | Meier, Alan | Other | European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy | 2015 | The outrage against VW is justified, but let's not forget that other manufacturers ‚a lot of manufacturers, have been circumventing energy and emissions tests for decades. Here are a few of my own experiences. | Read Article | |
| Diffusion of Feedback: Perceptions and Adoption of Devices in the Residential Market | Beth Karlin, Angela Sanguinetti, Nora Davis, Kristen Bendanna, Kristen Holdsworth, Jessie Baker, David Kirkby, Daniel Stokols | Peer-reviewed Article | Lecture Notes in Computer Science | 2015 | Providing households with energy feedback is widely promoted as a conservation strategy and its effectiveness has been established in field studies. However, such studies actively recruit participants and little is known about naturalistic consumers. Despite hundreds of products emerging, few have taken hold in the market. Diffusion of innovation is a theory of technology adoption that details both the general process by which innovation spreads as well as the individual process of technology adoption. | Read Article (paywall) | mtrp |
| Efficient use of land to meet sustainable energy needs | Hernandez, Rebecca R; Hoffacker, Madison K; Field, Christopher B; | Project Report | Nature | 2015 | To identify areas meeting land, energy, and environmental (LEE) compatibility for small- and utility-scale solar energy (USSE) in the state of California, we developed the Carnegie Energy and Environmental Compatibility (CEEC) Model | Download Report | |
| Solar Energy development impacts on land cover change and protected areas | Hernandez, Rebecca R; Hoffacker, Madison K; Murphy-Mariscal, Michelle L; Wu, Grace C; Allen, Michael F; | Project Report | PNAS | 2015 | Decisions determining the use of land for energy are of exigent concern as land scarcity, the need for ecosystem services, and demands for energy generation have concomitantly increased globally. Utility- scale solar energy (USSE) [i.e. a 1 megawatt (MW)] development re- quires large quantities of space and land; however, studies quantifying the effect of USSE on land cover change and protected areas are limited. | Read Article | |
| What about Everyone Else? Thinking Beyond the Customer: Market Barriers to Adoption of Efficient HVAC Technologies | Outcault, S. | Presentation | Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference | 2015 | Identifies market barriers impeding the adoption of emerging HVAC technologies in California, using a behavior economics model of behavior change. | Presentation Slides | mtrp |
| Market Barriers to Widespread Diffusion of Climate-Appropriate HVAC Retrofit Technologies | Outcault, S. Kutzleb, J., Wooley, J. and K. Heinemeier. | Project Report | 2015 | Examines the market barriers impeding the adoption of emerging HVAC technologies in California, using a behavior economics model of behavior change. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Assessment of the hybrid solar technologies for air conditioning in the Sustainable City of Dubai | Rahman, M.; Ghaddar, N.; Ghali, K.; Outcault, S.; P. Stroeve | Project Report | 2015 | This paper examines the technical requirements for a renewables-powered air conditioning system for a building in The Sustainable City of Dubai. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Can AC Use be Reduced? Field Experiments to Encourage Adoption of Alternative Cooling Strategies in Japan and the U.S. | Outcault, S. Heinemeier, K., Pritoni, M., Kutzleb, J. and Q. Wang. | Project Report | 2015 | This paper reports on a pair of randomized control trial to encourage the use of passive cooling techniques in Japan and the U.S. | Read Report | mtrp | |
| Incorporating spatiotemporal effects and moisture diffusivity into a multi-criteria materials selection methodology for wood–polymer composites | Wil V Srubar III, Sabbie A Miller, Michael D Lepech, Sarah L Billington | Peer-reviewed Article | Construction and Building Materials | 2014 | Naturally occurring biopolymers have demonstrated suitability for use in wood–polymer composites (WPCs), which have the potential to replace petroleum-based plastics, wood, and engineered-wood materials in construction applications. However, widespread applicability of WPCs remains limited because of long-term durability concerns, especially in high-humidity and wet environments. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Renewable biobased composites for civil engineering applications | SL Billington, WV Srubar, AT Miche, SA Miller | Peer-reviewed Article | Sustainable Composites: Fibers, Resins and Applications | 2014 | While today’s built environment is a woven urban fabric of as-sembled civil engineered systems including transportation, public works, wastewater, and hydroelectric facilities, the construction and operation of buildings is one of the greatest consumers of all materials, energy, and natural resources worldwide. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy | Hernandez, RR; Easter, SB; Murphy-Mariscal, ML; Maestre, FT; Tavassoli, M; Allen, EB; Barrows, CW; Belnap, J; Ochoa-Hueso, Ravi; Ravi, S; | Peer-reviewed Article | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews | 2014 | Renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuel-based energy, but its development can require a complex set of environmental tradeoffs. A recent increase in solar energy systems, especially large, centralized installations, underscores the urgency of understanding their environmental interactions. Synthesizing literature across numerous disciplines, we review direct and indirect environmental impacts – both beneficial and adverse – of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development, including impacts on biodiversity, land-use and land-cover change, soils, water resources, and human health. Additionally, we review feedbacks between USSE infrastructure and land-atmosphere interactions and the potential for USSE systems to mitigate climate change. Several characteristics and development strategies of USSE systems have low environmental impacts relative to other energy systems, including other renewables. We show opportunities to increase USSE environmental co-benefits, the permitting and regulatory constraints and opportunities of USSE, and highlight future research directions to better understand the nexus between USSE and the environment. Increasing the environmental compatibility of USSE systems will maximize the efficacy of this key renewable energy source in mitigating climatic and global environmental change. | Read Article | |
| Land-use efficiency of big solar | Hernandez, Rebecca R; Hoffacker, Madison K; Field, Christopher B; | Peer-reviewed Article | Environmental Science & Technology | 2014 | "As utility-scale solar energy (USSE) systems increase in size and numbers globally, there is a growing interest in understanding environmental interactions between solar energy development and land-use decisions. Maximizing the efficient use of land for USSE is one of the major challenges in realizing the full potential of solar energy; however, the land-use efficiency (LUE; Wm–2) of USSE remains ambiguous. We quantified the capacity-based LUE of 183 USSE installations (>20 MW; planned, under construction, and operating) using California as a case study. size and numbers globally, there is a growing interest in understanding environmental interactions between solar energy development and land- use decisions. Maximizing the efficient use of land for USSE is one of the major challenges in realizing the full potential of solar energy; however, the land-use efficiency (LUE; Wm−2) of USSE remains ambiguous. We quantified the capacity-based LUE of 183 USSE installations (>20 MW; planned, under construction, and operating) using California as a case study. " | Read Paper | |
| Application of multi-criteria material selection techniques to constituent refinement in biobased composites | Sabbie A Miller, Michael D Lepech, Sarah L Billington | Peer-reviewed Article | Materials & Design (1980-2015) | 2013 | Biobased composites offer a potentially low environmental impact material option for the construction industries. Designing these materials to meet both performance requirements for an application and minimize environmental impacts requires the ability to refine composite constituents based on environmental impact and mechanical properties. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Evaluation of Functional Units Including Time-Dependent Properties for Environmental Impact Modeling of Biobased Composites | SA Miller, MD Lepech, SL Billington | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy | 2013 | As understanding of anthropogenic effects on the environment grows, interest in developing more sustainable materials, such as biobased composites, is increasing. It is commonly assumed that biobased composites have fewer environmental impacts than petroleum based materials. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Improvement in environmental performance of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate)-co-(β-hydroxyvalerate) composites through process modifications | SA Miller, SL Billington, MD Lepech | Peer-reviewed Article | Journal of Cleaner Production | 2013 | As interest grows in developing materials with low environmental impact, research on bio-based composites is gaining attention in the composites industry. Bio-based composites are polymer matrix composites reinforced with natural fibers. | Read Report | mdsc |
| Mechanical and Environmental Characterization of Biobased Composites | SA Miller, MD Lepech, SL Billington | Project Report | 2013 | Interest in natural fiber reinforced composites has been growing because of their potential to offer low environmental impact alternative to conventional materials. Several studies have shown desirable mechanical properties can be achieved with polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers, but environmental impact is not typically meticulously quantified. | Read Report | mdsc | |
| The Complexities of Saving Energy in Qatar | Meier, Alan, Sinan Sabeeh, and Darwish Mohamed | Peer-reviewed Article | European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy | 2013 | Qatar presents unusual energy conservation challenges, some of which will appear elsewhere as the effects of climate change and environmental degradation increase. Qatar is endowed with huge reserves of natural gas but no fresh water. All of the fresh water is obtained through energy-intensive desalination processes—which may be responsible for as much as 40% of total gas use--resulting in many links between the supply and consumption of energy and water. Conserving water translates directly into saving energy. About 80% of the electricity in Qatari buildings is used to provide air conditioning; this is the highest fraction in any country in the world. The high rate of infrastructure construction temporarily distorts energy consumption patterns. | Read Article | |
| Cars Are Buildings: Building-like Energy Use in Automobiles | Thomas, Valerie M.; Alan K. Meier; Siva G. Gunda; and Thomas P. Wenzel | Peer-reviewed Article | Transport and Environment | 2011 | This paper examines vehicle energy use as if vehicles were buildings. Vehicle air conditioners are much less efficient than residential air conditioners, and in the US consume about 0.9 quadrillion BTUs (quads) per year, comparable to the 2.3 by air conditioners in residences. Vehicle heating, in contrast, is a model of efficiency, running as a combined-heat-and-power system using waste heat from the motor. Electricity use from appliances such as DVD players, laptops, and refrigerators remains modest, although stand-by power use is growing. Technology and policy approaches used for buildings can address similar types of energy use in cars. | Read Article | |
| City Carbon Budgets: Aligning Incentives for Climate-Friendly Communities | Salon, Deborah; Daniel Sperling; Alan Meier; Sinnott Murphy; Roger Gorham; and James Barrett | Project Report | 2008 | Local governments can have a large effect on carbon emissions through land use zoning, building codes, transport infrastructure investments, and support for transportation alternatives. Recognizing this, many cities have developed climate action plans, containing a disparate mix of mostly voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposals. This paper describes an integrated climate policy instrument for local governments: city carbon budgets. We identify and evaluate options for creating an effective and acceptable institutional structure, allocating emission targets to localities, measuring emissions, providing flexibility and incentives to local governments, and assuring compliance. We also discuss the likely costs of such a policy. Our recommended policy structure is based on the principles of effectiveness, equity, efficiency, administrative ease, and political acceptability. | Read Article | ||
