DAVIS, CA-UC Davis West Village made its official debut as the largest planned zero net energy community in the country. Located on the University of California, Davis campus, the development is designed to generate as much energy each year as it consumes.

GlobeSt.com first reported on the community in its In the Know blog this summer. As previously reported, the community includes apartments along with singlefamily homes for sale to faculty and staff. It combines advanced energy-efficient design features with a four-megawatt, high efficiency SunPower solar power system to achieve its net zero goal, meaning that the project will produce at least as much energy as it uses.

The development is the product of a partnership between UC Davis and West Village Community Partnership LLC, a joint venture led by San Francisco-based Carmel Partners with partner Urban Villages of Denver. “UC Davis West Village illustrates our commitment to cutting-edge research in sustainability and the value and impact of public-private partnerships,” says UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “The success of these partnerships demonstrates what can be achieved when innovations in design, science and engineering come together for the public good.”

Hundreds of residents, neighbors and supporters attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently to celebrate completion of major elements of the $300-million first phase: 315 apartments, 42,500 square feet of commercial space, a recreation center and village square. More than 800 residents have moved into the initial phase within the past month.

When completed, the 130-acre development will be home to about 3,000 people in 662 apartments and 343 singlefamily houses. Zero net energy has never been attempted on the scale of UC Davis West Village, according to a prepared statement. “If the community achieves its energy goals, it will set a national precedent in sustainable design,” says the statement.

West Village Community Partnership has a 65-year ground lease with the university for the project. “UC Davis West Village is a visionary model for integrating pioneering sustainable principles with high-quality living environments, creating an eco-friendly lifestyle for students, faculty and staff,” says Nolan Zail, senior vice president of development for Carmel Partners. “We believe the success of this innovative public-private partnership and demonstrated zero net energy living community will inspire other public and private institutions to build similar sustainable communities.”

UC Davis West Village relies on two strategies to achieve the zero net energy goal; aggressive energy efficiency measures and on-site power generation. If built to code, the completed portions of UC Davis West Village would burn 22 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year. But by employing aggressive energy efficiency measures, planners project the annual total will come to about 11 million kilowatt hours, a 50% reduction. .

Grant funding for the UC Davis West Village energy initiative came from the US Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Deployment program, the California Energy Commission, California Public Utility Commission’s California Solar Initiative, and California Energy Commission’s PIER Renewable-Based Energy Secure Community program.

PG&E, Chevron Energy Solutions, Energy+Environmental Engineering, and Davis Energy Group, together with UC Davis faculty and staff, played key roles in the zero net energy planning and feasibility studies.

Under the neighborhood master plan for UC Davis West Village, a future construction phase could include another 882 student beds and 132 single-family homes on 94 additional acres. No timeline has been set for this phase.

Check back with GlobeSt.com, which will follow the project and report on future phases as information becomes available.

Instant Insights /

Largest Planned Zero Net Energy Community Opens

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