Energy efficiency

Since 2004, the unit has worked with utilities throughout the state to develop an energy efficiency partnership program that provides for significant grant funding. To achieve greater results, the unit commissioned a Strategic Energy Plan for all campuses and medical centers in 2007 that formed the basis for a $280,000,000 investment by the University in energy efficiency projects. The unit negotiated utility grants to offset UC’s cost by $50,000,000 and worked with the University's CFO division to secure bond funding for the projects to be implemented by the campuses. This unit manages the program and reports achievements to all stakeholders, including senior management, the utilities, and the State Dept. of Finance.  The program is one of the major initiatives under the university’s Working Smarter campaign.

The University of California/California State University (UC/CSU) and Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) Energy Efficiency Partnership is a statewide energy efficiency program that accomplishes immediate, long-term peak energy and demand savings, and establishes a permanent framework for a sustainable, long-term, comprehensive energy management program at the UC and CSU campuses served by California's four large IOUs and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Program Elements

• Retrofit Projects

The Energy Efficiency Retrofit element of the program involves implementation of energy efficiency retrofit projects providing cost-effective energy savings during the program implementation period

• Monitoring Based Commissioning (MBCx)

This element of the program is a unique approach to obtaining savings that combines the expertise of the Universities' statewide campus facility management staff, additional utility and subcontractor expertise, and the installation of energy monitoring and metering equipment at the building submeter and system level. Through these resources, a systematic, comprehensive continuous commissioning program will be developed. First, the campuses will install sufficient equipment to insure an extensive and comprehensive built-in measurement and verification capability. Second, this element of the program will be combined with the third element (Energy Efficiency Education and Best Practices Development and Training) to become a "continuous commissioning" program, that is institutionalized at the campuses for the foreseeable future. In this way, savings will be sustained well beyond those from the more typical and limited retro-commissioning programs. Third, the program will identify new cost-effective retrofit opportunities to be proposed for funding in the next CPUC solicitation cycle.

• Training & Education

The Energy Efficiency Education and Best Practices Development and Training element of the program will develop a comprehensive program for energy education and information exchange among the UC/CSU/Community College campus energy and facility managers and with the IOUs. This program will provide a venue for those individuals responsible for managing energy use on campuses to share information and experiences related to facility operations, best practices, and successful retrofit projects, among other issues. This is an information and education program that will develop and share best practice operating methods and technologies applicable to university campus facilities.