Projects Funded in 2012-2013
Santa Cruz Greenwharf Lighting Retrofit
Allocated Funds: $28,029.05
Purpose: Researchers from UCSC’s Sustainable Engineering and Ecological Design consortium are working with the Wharf Supervisor and Climate Action Coordinator for the City of Santa Cruz to retrofit the Wharf lighting from sodium halide bulbs to LED. The planning element of this project is finished, the team now awaits the purchase and shipment of all necessary materials to begin the retrofit.
Bike Generator for At Risk Youth
Allocated Funds: $1000.00
Purpose: Working with students and staff at Natural Bridges High School, this project will use a human-powered bike generator that generates electricity. The project seeks to educate students about the energy needed to power activities that are often taken for granted. The team has successfully designed and implemented a curriculum for the construction, use, and monitoring of two bike generators. Students at NBHS have been able to power appliances such as blenders and speakers. They now feel engaged and more connected to their personal power consumption.
Drop Your Own Drip
Allocated Funds: $750.00
Purpose: DYOD is a project that focuses its efforts towards the production of simulated monthly water statements for on-campus apartment residents at UCSC. Included in the project is a competition among students with incentives to reduce water use, as well as a celebration event upon completion. The project was completed over spring quarter 2013, and a winner for total water reductions declared. A celebration was held on May 23 to promote awareness and give prizes to students. The team is now collecting survey results from all of the college apartments to improve the project for next year.
Bicycle Transit Planning
Allocated Funds: $616.00
Purpose: This project aims to create a quality index for bike routes in the city of Santa Cruz. By identifying key gaps in the local bike network, the City can work to improve its transportation footprint. The team used survey data from local cyclists, bike collision data and Environmental Quality Index (EQI) analysis to characterize the conditions of current bike routes. The team prepared an in-depth report on biking conditions in Santa Cruz, based on the reports of their surveys, the EQI analysis of roads, and local records of cycling collisions. Their findings were presented to the City of Santa Cruz, with several key routes identified as deserving top priority for improvement.
Energy Dashboard and Behavior Change
Allocated Funds: $7,605.00
Purpose: This project’s purpose is to provoke students in residential buildings to analyze their energy use and change their behavior in a manner that positively affects the environment and climate change. It aims to provide easy to use data on energy use, tips on how to improve energy consumption, and incentives to reduce. Meters that will monitor energy are being installed on dormitories at Crown College. Meanwhile, the team is working on a program that will make energy consumption data easily accessible with iPhone or Android. The goal is to have an energy competition ready for incoming students in fall 2013.
