Glumac is working with San Diego State University (SDSU) to develop a campus Carbon Neutrality Plan that will provide pathways to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2030 for all scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions. This study includes a review of historical campus information to establish a baseline for existing infrastructure, energy use and emissions and identify campus goals and KPIs to inform planning efforts. The project will provide SDSU with a comprehensive action plan that identifies the total costs of transitioning the campus to a carbon neutral, clean energy infrastructure system.

Expanding on previous campus energy studies, Glumac will develop a refined strategy for SDSU to transition the campus from existing natural gas infrastructure to a carbon neutral thermal energy system that includes heat pumps, heat recovery chillers and thermal energy storage. The project team will provide a decommissioning plan, updated construction schedules and cost estimates for retiring the existing 14.3 MW cogeneration system which has 5 years remaining of expected useful life. Glumac will assess the feasibility and cost for transitioning campus distribution from steam to low temperature heating hot water to support SDSU’s next generation heating systems. We will investigate how solar PV, battery energy storage and other distributed energy resources can provide SDSU with an adequate level of resiliency that they were afforded with their existing 14.3 MW cogeneration system which can meet 80-85% of the campus electrical demand. This assessment and planning effort will form an integrated campus energy strategy that sets SDSU on a trajectory to meet their climate action goals.

The project team will also provide a full assessment of campus building infrastructure and fleet vehicles to identify other scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission reduction opportunities. For each strategy we will provide a life cycle cost assessment to understand the margin abatement cost per metric ton ($ / MTE). We developed an interactive carbon scenario planning and risk mitigation tool that will allow SDSU to track current and future carbon emissions based on implementation of proposed strategies and measures. This tool will be turned over to the university at the end of the project for their continued use.

Size: 7 million sf
Start/End Date: January 2022 – Present
Owner: San Diego State University
Services: Energy, Sustainability, Mechanical