What words come to mind when you think about climate change? Urgency? Innovation? Carbon-free? Now, imagine those very words adorning the fluffy coats of sheep, transforming them into living symbols of our sustainability goals. Only at UC Davis could such a whimsical, yet meaningful event take place.
As each University of California campus prepares to publish its long-term plan for eliminating carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy, a new UC feature story shares how sustainability experts on three campuses — Davis, Berkeley and Santa Cruz —are phasing out fossil fuels ahead of schedule.
Earlier this month, the Chancellor and the Chancellor’s Committee on Campus Planning and Design, or CCCPD, endorsed moving forward with a $55.5 million investment of campus funds for the next phase of the Big Shift – a heating infrastructure overhaul that represents a crucial step in reducing the university’s fossil fuel usage.
After more than two years of digging trenches, laying pipes and converting mechanical rooms, the first district of the Big Shift is complete. In a landmark achievement, hot water is running through the Quad district and heating buildings at UC Davis.
From researching how to more efficiently cool buildings to adding compost bins to classroom buildings, many units across campus perform invaluable work that allows UC Davis to continuously reach the highest levels of sustainability.
The funding for the development of the preliminary plans for the next phase of the Big Shift was approved by the University of California Board of Regents on Jan. 19, 2022.
In an important milestone for the Big Shift, hot water is now flowing through recently laid pipes into six buildings in the Quad District, providing them with heat from a more renewable source.
Thanks to the Big Shift project, our campus is moving away from using natural-gas-created steam to heat our buildings to green-energy-produced hot water. So, what happens to other stuff we use that runs on steam?
In mid-November a crane carried an amalgamation of pipes and tanks, approximately the size of a semi-truck, into the air then down into an unassuming, temporary building just off California Avenue. This impressive piece of machinery is a heat exchanger and a crucial piece of the Big Shift puzzle.
This week, after months of hard work, Big Shift construction crews wrapped up construction on North Quad—one of the first sections of construction that kicked off the Big Shift in May of this year.
The move from a steam to hot water is at the core of the Big Shift, but it’s only one part of a larger effort toward shifting our investments, our energy supply and our commitment as a campus to becoming more sustainable.
Digging trenches with heavy machinery can have a major impact on campus landscapes and trees if not managed carefully. Big Shift construction crews are taking tree protection and conservation measures to limit this impact.
As the Big Shift project snakes its way around campus you may notice construction crews emptying large bags of white powder into the hot-water-pipe trenches. What is it and how is it helping save energy and reduce our carbon emissions?
As Big Shift construction crews routinely dig eight-foot deep, four-foot wide trenches, there are a few important factors to consider including the existing pipe infrastructure, the health of nearby trees and the protection of cultural resources.
Digging the trenches that will eventually hold our new hot water pipes is no easy task! Just look at the maze of other utility pipes that crisscross the campus just beneath our feet!
