About - Putting Buildings to Sleep (UC Davis)
Based on available campus energy data, UC Davis buildings use up to 50% of their peak electricity demand when the building is unoccupied. In an effort to reduce this waste, students performed energy audits, interviewed occupants, analyzed usage data, and experimented with equipment turn-downs to unnecessary energy demand in two targeted buildings. This project identified audiovisual equipment and improper thermostat settings as the largest contributors. Were an effective turn-down strategy implemented in these buildings, the students estimate between $37,000 to $148,000 could be saved in energy costs. The students also specified a programmatic platform that infers vacancy by combining inputs such as CO2, PIR, and WiFi connection data. This could be used to produce a signal that initiates automatic entry of devices into “vacancy mode."