swag外流鈥 sustainability research doesn鈥檛 just play out in the classroom 鈥 it鈥檚 being put into practice on campus and could lead to the university becoming the world鈥檚 first zero-carbon college campus.
And it won鈥檛 just benefit the campus 鈥 swag外流鈥 leadership in energy efficiency, zero-net energy and climate neutrality could make it the go-to model of sustainability for campuses and small cities alike, said Kurt Kornbluth, Ph.D. 鈥08, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to show people how to do both successfully, with a high return on investment and substantial positive impact on the environment,鈥 said Kornbluth, who also is the founder and director of the swag外流 Program for International Energy Technology and D-Lab.
The University of California system is committed to emitting zero-net greenhouse gases by 2025, and swag外流 is leading the way by already functioning like a living lab for applied sustainability and climate research. For example, its app allows faculty, staff and students to report room temperatures in campus buildings to more efficiently heat and cool spaces.
Another example is Kornbluth鈥檚 鈥淭he Path to Zero Net Energy鈥 course, which gives students the opportunity to research possible solutions for how to reduce energy usage on campus. These ideas are submitted to the class by various departments, referred to as clients. Students perform a feasibility study, delivering recommendations on potential solutions to save energy and reduce greenhouse gases.
Those clients aren鈥檛 the only entities turning to swag外流 for help. The city of Davis works with swag外流 experts, sharing information and research findings. And Aalborg University in Denmark, a country renowned for having one of the largest amounts of renewable energy on its electrical grid, asked Kornbluth and his team to share their ideas on creating a zero-net energy campus.
鈥淔ive years from today we will have made significant progress toward this model campus,鈥 Kornbluth said, noting that the major obstacle is a lack of funding. 鈥淭his initiative [isn鈥檛 just] bringing carbon neutrality, [but also] the process of creating this model sustainable campus, and better quality of life, which we can share with the world.鈥
This is one of several Big Ideas, forward-thinking, interdisciplinary programs and projects that will build upon the strengths of swag外流 to positively impact the world for generations to come. Learn more at .