University of California Installs Sensors to Curtail Energy Usage for Lighting

University of California Davis has announced a $39 million initiative to reduce the usage of energy for lightings in the campus buildings. The program has been announced to minimize the energy usage significantly over the coming 10 years.

The university will install daylight sensors and occupancy sensors to control brightness in the campus and parking lot lights. Mirrored devices will also be installed in the brewery, winery, and food processing facilities of the campus, to bring in daylight.

With the announcement of the Smart Lighting initiative, the university became the first institution in California to respond to the state mandate to reduce the usage of lighting energy by 2020.

As per a report from the California Public Utilities Commission, energy used for lighting represents one-fourth of the total electricity usage in the state. The university expects the initiative to reduce energy consumption by 60% over the decade. The initiative will be funded by the state fund and annual energy savings.