Seeley Climate Wizard Hybrid: Packaged Roof Top Unit with Integrated Heat Pump and Indirect/Direct Evaporative Cooling

It is estimated that 75% of commercial building floor area in California is conditioned with packaged systems. The emerging technology assessed in this study is the Seeley Climate Wizard (CW) Hybrid, which is a packaged RTU that integrates a heat pump with an indirect-direct evaporative cooling (IDEC) system that is designed as a direct replacement for a traditional RTU.
Addressing Need for Low-Cost Ventilation Screening Tool in a Pandemic World

COVID-19 has permanently or temporarily altered numerous aspects of our lives. The importance of ventilation and ASHRAE recommended air changes per hour in mitigating the effects of coronavirus cannot be overstated.
Research Team Selected for $4.6 M Department of Energy Award to Advance Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power

Concentrating solar-thermal power technologies can help eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector.
A District Energy System Design Could Cut More Emissions for Proposed Davis Innovation Sustainability Campus

Homes and businesses use over 25 percent of California’s energy. With a number of different space heating and cooling technologies available to developers, it is important to understand and quantify potential greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts.
WCEC Alumni
Our students and staff go to work for a variety of industry, academic, public, and non-profit organizations. You will find our alumni in the following places. Associate Engineer, Gas Transmission Systems, Inc Banks Integration Group Bio-Rad Labs California Energy Commission CBS Interactive Chevron Cisco ClearMotion Consultant, Navigant DNV GL E la Carte Inc. EcoAgriculture Partners […]
Market Transformation Research Group Publishes Study on Human Factors and Indoor Air Quality in Schools

While technical solutions to ensure adequate air exchange are crucial, this research focuses on teachers’ perceptions and practices that may also have important implications for achieving a safe classroom environment
WCEC Newly Published Journal Article on Greenhouse Gas Emission Forecasts for Residential Heat Pumps

Newly published article aims to inform policymakers about the greenhouse gas emission impacts of heat pump deployment in residential homes.
R-466A Refrigerant Demonstration and Performance

Refrigerants used in vapor-compression air conditioners and heat pumps have been the subject of environmental regulations requiring the need to develop alternative solutions with lower global warming potential (GWP). In general, there is a trade-off when choosing alternative refrigerants between safety, performance, and GWP.
Student-Built Air Purifiers Tackle Wildfire Smoke and Covid-19

Schools are facing many challenges this fall, including minimizing risks to students and staff from Covid-19 and wildfire smoke exposure. Air purifiers are one tool that can help.
Researchers from the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute (EEI) partnered with science teachers at Rio Tierra Junior High School in Sacramento to teach a two-day lesson on air quality and build 30 portable air cleaners with approximately 150 8th grade students.
Testing Different Configurations of Do-It-Yourself Portable Air Cleaners

A recent case study by the Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) seeks to answer: does making your own portable air cleaner match the cleaning performance of off-the shelf products and do so in a cost effective way?