MERCED, CA — Imagine the power intensity of 15,000 100-watt light bulbs turned on at the same time that's the rough equivalent of what a university research laboratory typically consumes on a daily basis. Today, at the new University of California, Merced campus, greener labs are being designed with aggressive new energy standards, designed to reduce that energy consumption by one-third or more.
Energy efficiency is one of the multitude of sustainability topics to be discussed at the University of California, Merced's upcoming “Conference on Building and Operating Sustainable College and University Campuses in the 21st Century”, scheduled for April 28 and 29, in Modesto, California.
Supported by a financial grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the conference will be presented with the assistance of the California State & Consumer Services Agency, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and the California Division of the State Architect.
“As the first major research institution to be built in the 21st century, we are committed to integrating environmental stewardship into the design, construction and operation of our campus,” said UC Merced Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey. “In addition, we hope to provide a model for future development in the San Joaquin Valley which is the fastest-growing region of California.”
In its energy efficient design of wet and dry laboratories, UC Merced has already been recognized by the EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) for voluntarily participating in their “Laboratories for the 21st Century Partnership Program (Labs 21)”.
The sustainability conference will feature several prominent keynote speakers including: Vivian Loftness, Head of the School of Architecture at Carnegie-Mellon; Wayne Nastri, U.S. EPA Region 9 Administrator; Michael Dorsey, Director, Sierra Club; Dennis Cardoza, U.S. Congressman, 18th District; Aileen Adams, Secretary of the California State & Consumer Services Agency; and Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey.
The latest developments in sustainability will be discussed in breakout groups covering topics such as: energy efficiency and renewable energy; materials and waste management, indoor environmental
quality; integration of sustainability into academic curricula; water management; emerging technologies; and campus-wide energy issues.
Registration for the conference is required, with an initial deadline of April 4. For more information, please visit the event-planning website at www.cce.csus.edu/cts/merced/
For more information on UC Merced, the 10th campus of the prestigious UC system, please visit www.ucmerced.edu
UC Merced currently employs more than 110 educators and professionals and will welcome its first 1,000 students in fall 2004. The University will serve students in three ways that complement the changing needs of today's society: 1) a residential campus serving 25,000 students when complete; 2) educational centers throughout the San Joaquin Valley; and 3) cooperative agreements with the California Community College system.
