Engineering Articles

This month, we are getting to know William (Billy) Evans, a student intern at Energy & Engineering. After completing his undergraduate studies as a Biological Systems Engineer, Billy is now a first-year graduate student pursuing his Master of Science in Energy Systems.

A team effort between the Energy & Engineering team, and Building Maintenance Services (BMS) shops for sheet metal, ventilation, plumbing, and electrical created a big win at the Vet Med 3A Multipurpose Teaching (MPT) facility. 

The ECO office gained four new Graduate Student Researchers in the Fall of 2021. All are first-year graduate students pursuing their Master of Science in Energy Systems and using their knowledge to reduce energy use on campus. Each student focuses on niche aspects of energy conservation on campus, ranging from COVID-19 ventilation to housing and dining innovations. They enjoy the blend of fieldwork and data that the Energy & Engineering Energy Conservation Office offers when solving problems.  

When an outdated heating system caused the water temperature in Storer Hall’s tropical fish lab to drop to dangerously low levels, Facilities Management’s Building Maintenance Services (BMS) HVAC and Energy and Engineering team collaborated with the Laskowski Lab researchers to improve operations.   

No idea is too big or small when saving energy and improving systems. Joe Lestanguet, Inspector, Planner, and Estimator for Facilities Management Building Maintenance Services (FM BMS), shared an energy-saving idea with Sam Cole, an Energy Project Engineer from the Energy and Engineering office, and they recently implemented the project together.   

David Trombly, senior engineer supervisor with UC Davis Facilities Management and Ahmet Palazoglu, chemical engineering professor, discuss the chilled water optimization project and its cost- and energy-saving impact. Camille Kirk, sustainability planner and director of UC Davis Sustainability and Kiernan Salmon, product manager with UC Davis Facilities Management, highlight additional sustainability-related goals and projects.

This past summer, Facilities Management (FM) completed what was a year-long project that included Building Maintenance Services (BMS), Utilities, Energy & Engineering, Transportation Services construction, Design, and Construction Management (DCM), and a contractor at the Med Sci D building.

This summer, two buildings: Earth & Physical Sciences (EPS) and Sciences Laboratory, worked with FM: Energy & Engineering to pilot a Smart Labs program.  Smart Labs is a utility incentive program through Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which provides funding for implementing energy-saving solutions in laboratory buildings within the PG&E service area. Completion of this program will result in safer labs, fewer carbon emissions from reduced energy use, and lower utility bills.