Practical Decarbonization: UC Irvine’s Three-Decade Journey to a Smarter, Greener Campus

Overview

At the 2025 IDEA Campus Energy Conference in Boston, we joined leaders from across the campus energy spectrum, taking to the stage with our long-time client UC Irvine (UCI), and our professional partners Black & Veatch, to share an in-depth look at UCI’s long-term, practical approach to decarbonization. Our presentation—“Practical Decarbonization: UC Irvine’s Three-Decade Journey”—offered a rare, honest glimpse into what it takes to decarbonize a large higher education campus.

The main message? Decarbonization is a journey—not a one-time initiative—and it requires sustained effort, smart planning, and a deeply collaborative team.

Key Takeaways

1. Energy Efficiency First

UCI’s roadmap starts with rigorous energy efficiency. They’ve embedded standards into design specs, building automation systems (BAS), and controls. Their “Smart Labs” program optimizes airflow and lighting with demand-based controls—backed by analytics and commissioning—to deliver significant energy savings.

School of Business retrofit: 46.9% energy reduction and $106K annual savings
Smart Labs: Fume hood and ventilation optimization tailored to critical lab environments

2. The Power of Data & Analytics

UCI didn’t just implement systems—they measured and continuously improved them. Their energy team uses long-term data historians, fault detection & diagnostics (FDD), and measurement & verification (M&V) systems to:

Investigate hot/cold calls
Track issues in real time
Inform research
Guide decarbonization planning

These analytics were pivotal in identifying underperforming assets and planning strategic upgrades with clear ROI.

3. Decarbonization is Layered, Not Linear

UCI evaluated multiple paths to cut 90% of Scope 1 emissions by 2045. Strategies were scenario-based, balancing feasibility, scalability, and cost:

Electrification of boilers and systems where practical
Integration of solar and battery energy storage (BESS)
Monitoring hydrogen and nuclear microreactor technology for medium- to long-term deployment

The campus’s existing infrastructure, including high-temp water and limited mechanical space, posed constraints that required creative, phased solutions.

Challenges Faced

UCI’s path wasn’t smooth—and their honesty in addressing barriers was refreshing:

Mechanical Constraints: Legacy systems weren’t built for electrification and tunnel space limited expansion.
Cultural Buy-In: Faculty and students needed education and reassurance, especially around grid dependence and new tech.
Funding & Staffing: Deferred maintenance, staffing shortages, and budget alignment created headwinds.

Collaboration is Critical

Throughout the journey, success hinged on aligning stakeholders—from facilities teams and IT to leadership and outside partners. UCI adopted a Design-Build approach to combine energy projects with deferred maintenance and sustainability initiatives, unlocking creative funding opportunities.

The ROI of Commitment

The result of this layered, strategic, and committed approach? UCI has not only saved money but significantly reduced emissions—positioning itself as a model of campus decarbonization in practice.

Their journey shows that with the right people and trusted advisors, persistence, and a foundation of analytics, decarbonization isn’t just possible—it’s practical, cost-effective, and transformational.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how Altura about what it really takes to decarbonize your campus – from building automation and data analytics to heat recovery challenges and creative funding, please reach out to us at hello@alturassociates.com.