University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley's Clean Energy Campus
Design for decarbonization
Committing to a future-focused investment in the university's growth and success, UC Berkeley has embarked on a progressive initiative to decarbonize the campus. Transforming the campus into a 100 percent electrified and renewable energy microgrid, the plan accelerates state policy goals, reducing carbon emissions and the use of offsets below the California Cap-and-Trade threshold by 2028 and achieving full decarbonization by 2045. Building on the strength of preceding conceptual planning, Flad and the design team – led by Affiliated Engineers, Inc. – was selected to initiate these changes.
Physical planning is fully integrated and aligned with the university's goals to preserve open space, enhance campus connections, and recognize siting for future capital projects. The new Electrified Heating and Cooling Plant is a centerpiece of this effort. Located in the campus core, Flad's conceptual design locates the structure below grade to preserve sightlines and space above for student recreation. The building opens to views from an adjacent walkway, engaging learners to fulfill the university's mission to create a Living Laboratory. With a target of LEED Gold, the plant's underground Thermal Energy Storage system will supply the hot and chilled water needed to condition more than 12 million square feet of space across the campus.
The planning scope touches many areas of the 1200-acre campus. The Clean Energy Campus's Distributed Energy Resources include solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and geothermal heat exchange, with the strategic use of fuel cells for resiliency. A highly collaborative design process will integrate these technologies within the campus fabric and carry forward the conversion of more than 100 campus buildings to clean energy. Through integrated design and planning, these changes will help advance concurrent planning initiatives to improve accessibility, implement water resilience, and advance sustainability goals.
Flad Architects (master planning, programming, site evaluation and planning, and architectural design)
Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (engineer of record)
