PROJECT AREA: ENERGY

Energy efficiency projects are managed by Capital Projects under the Strategic Energy Plan (SEP). Many PPCS units are involved with these projects: Utilities Engineering, Energy Management Group, Electric Shop, Stationary Engineer Shop, HVAC Shop and Senior Facilities Engineers. They work on lighting retrofits, HVAC retrofits, monitoring based commissioning for many campus buildings, and are continuing to retrofit and commission more campus buildings to ensure that building lighting and HVAC systems are running efficiently.  

 

CURRENT AND ONGOING PROJECTS

Campus Energy Efficiency Program

The Strategic Energy Plan Implementation will support Facilities Services' efforts to implement projects identified in Strategic Energy Plan of the 2009-11 Energy Efficiency Partnership Program. Projects include utility metering, monitoring based commissioning, lighting and HVAC retrofits, data center, PC power management, and improvements of energy efficiency technologies. In 2005, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recognized UC Berkeley with the "Flex Your Power Award" for energy efficiency, education, and leadership.

 

Energy Conservation Project Management

The active energy conservation projects are being funded principally through the UC/CSU Partnership. Projects include:

One of several new technologies being deployed is wireless lighting control developed through campus research. The first units are being installed in Moffitt and Doe Libraries and should be operational by the end of summer 2007. Current partnership measures are to be completed by December 2008 at a cost of around $2 million and are expected to reduce campus use by over 5,000,000 kWh.

 

Monitoring Based Commissioning (MBC)

MBC is a process where current operation of a building HVAC system is closely monitored to find and correct inefficiencies. MBC is an on-going campus program to ensure buildings at operating properly and with maximum efficiency. Two successful projects were completed in 2005 and 2006, Soda Hall and Tan Hall. Problems that were found and corrected include: chiller lockout control not functioning & simultaneous heating and cooling at Tan Hall.

 

Purchased Utilities

Choices made in purchasing utilities can greatly impact costs and greenhouse gas emissions. E.g. the movement of the main campus electric service from Direct Access to PG&E bundled service reduced cost by over $4 million during the first 12 months and reduced emissions by 60%. In recent years the Purchased Utilities budget has run a deficit principally due to price increases in electricity and natural gas; and also due to a lack of inflation augmentation. In fact there have been no price adjustments since UCOP handed budget responsibility to the campuses in 1993. A 2.5% annual adjustment for 12 years would represent a 34% increase or $6 million added to the current appropriation.

 

Rank and File Idea Solicitation

A formalized program would solicit ideas from the employees at PP-CS to save energy for campus. Our staff have a wealth of knowledge from directly working with the building operations and we believe we can believe we can engage our staff to be part of a more sustainable campus while saving campus a considerable amount of resources.. For example, our of our staff electricians suggested a lighting project at Hildebrand Hall that saved the campus thousands of dollars each year in electrical costs.

 

UC/CSU/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership with PG&E

The University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) Energy Efficiency Partnership is a statewide energy efficiency program to achieve cost-effective immediate and persistent peak energy and demand savings. The program employs four key strategies to meet its goals: energy efficiency retrofits, monitoring based commissioning (MBCx), emerging technology demonstrations, and training and education.

From 2006-08, this Partnership Program managed the implementation of monitoring based commissioning and utility metering projects at Silver Lab Addition, Koshland, Wurster, Cory and Tang Center. Various lighting retrofit technologies including T8 electronic ballasts, CFLs, occupancy sensors and wireless controls, Hi-bay HID to fluorescent, bi-level stairway light fixtures, integrated classroom lighting systems in more than 30 buildings; and HVAC retrofits involving variable frequency drive and energy efficient motors, fume hood constant to variable air volume, static pressure reset and wireless constant air to variable air volume control conversion in a dozen buildings.

UC Berkeley Receives Rebate Check from PG&E

On behalf of UC Berkeley, Sara Shirazi receives a energy rebate check from PG&E

COMPLETED PROJECTS

Barker Outdoor Downlights

The project connected photocell to several outdoor lights that were previously on 24/7. The photocell will recognize when it is bright outside and signal the outdoor lights to be turned off.

Boalt Hall Lobby Lighting Timer

Lighting timer installed in Boalt 2nd floor lobby to reduce lighting hours


Adjusting Haas School of Business' HVAC Schedule

With the help of Jennifer Sullivan, Haas Facilities Manager, PP-CS was able to change the HVAC schedule to more closely match the hours of building occupancy. This did not take much time to plan and implement but will have lasting energy savings for the campus!