A new agreement between the UC Davis Energy Institute and the nonprofit Valley Climate Action Center illustrates how UC Davis West Village--the nation’s largest zero net energy community--is serving not only as a model for the nation, but also for its own backyard.

The Davis-based Valley Climate Action Center has awarded the UC Davis Energy Institute $25,000 to study how the energy-saving innovations employed at UC Davis West Village can help the city achieve its zero net energy goals. 

Zero net energy means a building, or community, generates as much energy each year as it consumes. While zero net energy design is increasingly popular in individual homes and buildings, it has never been attempted on the scale of UC Davis West Village.

The 130-acre development, which officially opened its doors on the UC Davis campus in October, will be home to about 3,000 students, faculty and staff. If the community realizes its energy goals, it will set a national precedent in sustainable design.

“The idea is to apply the lessons learned through UC Davis West Village to all of Davis,” said Gerald Braun, former associate director of the UC Davis Energy Institute. Braun is leading the study and was involved with the research and development of UC Davis West Village. “This will be a challenge, because unlike West Village, Davis is not starting with bare ground and new buildings.”

The city of Davis, which adjoins the UC Davis campus, has set a goal of becoming zero net energy and zero net carbon by 2050. Zero net carbon means offsetting, sequestering, or buying enough carbon credits to equal the amount released by burning fossil fuels.

The new study will assess the city’s renewable resources and current and future energy demand, including transportation energy use. It will identify at least three alternative scenarios for transitioning to net zero energy and net zero carbon, all with a focus on economic feasibility.

The study is supported by funds from the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

The city of Davis expects the study to provide a foundation for additional funding to develop a zero net energy plan.

“West Village is definitely an inspiration and a source of good hard data and experience,” said Braun. “But it takes work to make use of that.”

*This release was updated, Aug. 20, 2012, to reflect that Gerald Braun has retired from UC Davis.