Towards Zero Net Energy at a Community-Scale Level: Case Study at UC Merced
The recent establishment of the University of California Merced presents a unique and invaluable opportunity to plan, carry out, and monitor the development and growth of a new university campus utilizing the most advanced sustainable concepts and technologies available today. Although retrofitting and obsolete building construction codes are not an issue, this community-scale project is already facing operational questions related to the integration of renewable resources. The actual operation at a high percentage of renewable power generation and building efficiency provides invaluable information to analyze the operation that mimic or even exceed California’s 20% and future 33% renewable portfolio standards. UC Merced is already working to meet the commitment of zero net energy by 2020 that is part of the triple-zero challenge that also includes elimination of landfill waste and climate neutrality in the same timeframe. In this work, current findings about this integration strategy are provided.