The Opportunity

Since 2003, the University of California system has been dedicated to being a national leader in environmental stewardship. When it came time to build a world-class biomedical education and research center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) emerging sustainability policy included adoption of on-site renewable power at its facilities.

The Partnership

UCSF partnered with ENGIE Services U.S. (ENGIE) to help fashion the new Mission Bay campus as a leading example of green building design. ENGIE designed and installed the largest solar power system to date at a UC campus. The system incorporates two distinct solar energy technologies: solar roofs on Genentech Hall and atop the carports of the parking garage and vertically mounted building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules on the garage facade.
 
UCSF identified an innovative way to avoid upfront project costs and ongoing system maintenance costs by having a third party own and operate the solar power system and sell power to UCSF through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Through this arrangement, UCSF enjoyed immediate savings at system start-up, allowing it to focus its resources on education and research programs.

3 Dimensions of Impact

ENGIE is committed to building three dimensions of impact in every customer’s future:
 

• Supporting People
• Saving Money
• Protecting the Environment

UCSF Mission Bay’s solar power system began operation in January 2008. The clean energy it generates prevents nearly 470,000 lbs of CO2 emissions each year. The electricity powers lighting systems and building elevators at the parking structure and Genentech Hall. Not only does this project save the UC system money in energy costs, it also fulfills UCSF’s commitment to renewable energy and green building design. The clean energy generated enhances livability of the building environment, as well as in the neighborhood.