Energy & Climate Goal

Energy Usage Down, GHG Emissions Up

The results of the preliminary UC Berkeley 2010 Greenhouse Gas Inventory reveal an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 0.8% or about 1,400 metric tons CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) relative to the 2009 inventory. Even with this small increase in 2010, emissions are still almost 5% below 2008 levels. Electricity use in 2010 is down 1.1% on the main campus and 1.5% overall relative to 2009.

Plans

The 2009 and 2010 greenhouse gas emissions inventories will be reported to The Climate Registry and third-party verified. The CalCAP (Cal Climate Action Partnership) Steering Committee will continue to evaluate measures to meet the 2014 target, including the possible use of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets. Project implementation progress will continue to be documented on the CalCAP website.

The first phase of the Operational Excellence Energy Management Initiative has been funded by campus, and is expected to yield $3-4 million in additional annual energy savings. A high-profile Energy Office will be tasked with overseeing many of the new initiatives and services being proposed. This Office will ensure ongoing commissioning of buildings and will work with existing Facility Managers to speed energy-related repairs and identify conservation measures/reduction projects. A companion program will provide financial incentives to reduce user-controlled electrical consumption by sharing energy savings with Operating Units. Another component is a campus ‘save energy’ outreach campaign to change individual behavior, aiming to make energy usage more visible and creating interesting, compelling, and consistent messages. The Energy Management Initiative will also establish and strengthen the campus energy policy to provide the administrative context for conservation.

Campus Installs 800 Exterior LED Lamps

Another SEP project changed the lights in all of the iconic exterior lampposts (approximately 800 fixtures) from metal halide bulbs to a LED array, a significantly more energy efficient and longer-lasting technology. The wattage in these fixtures dropped from 175 to 40 watts. The exterior lights are controlled by photocells and are operational only during the nighttime, but are used 365 days per year. This change will result in energy savings of almost 520,000 kWh and an annual cost savings of around $55,000. At the same time, the light is considered better, safer, and sharper – check them out the next time you’re on campus at night.

Cal Energy Corps Offering Sustainable Energy Internships

Launched in February 2011, Cal Energy Corps will send more than a dozen undergraduate students to places around the world each summer for internships focusing on sustainable energy and climate change. Participants spend up to ten weeks working with partner organizations either in the United States or overseas, contributing their talents to real-world projects. Projects this year range from studying the urban heat island effect at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to focusing on biofuels from algae at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur.

UC Berkeley Emissions by Source, 2009

Learn More about campus climate and energy goals and strategies.