The Green Initiative Fund chose 16 projects this year, awarding a total of $151,620 to help make UCSB a more sustainable campus. A big thanks to the student population whose fees make the implementation of these projects possible, and to the TGIF committee for their dedication to this great program. See below for summaries of each project you can expect to see completed over the next academic year:

Alternative Decking Solution ($9,338)
The funding will be used to purchase an alternative decking solution called Steeldeck. Steeldeck is a platforming system that is used to create stages in theaters and for dance. Steeldeck platforms are made of a metal frame topped with plywood. The platform design is modular so it can be used in many different applications and is highly versatile. This Steeldeck platforming system will reduce the use of traditional two by four framed wooden platforms and wooden triscuit decks. Steeldeck’s wooden counterparts are far less durable over time and are more difficult to maintain and fix, which in turn makes them disposable. This project will save an estimated 10 tons of decking waste annually.

Sustainable Restoration Equipment ($4,748)
Funding will be used to purchase two Oregon brand battery-powered string trimmers and extra batteries that will be recharged with the energy supplied from the solar panel system at NCOS. The electric string trimmers will significantly reduce UCSB’s environmental impact by saving energy, limiting air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing the noise level.

Water Bottle Filling Stations for Education Building ($9,000)
Funding will be used to purchase and install three filtered water bottle filling stations in the Education building. The project will not only increase access to drinking water and reduce the need for single use plastic water bottles, the Department has also committed to discontinuing all of its water bottle delivery service to the building, which will in turn reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Lighting the Way to Savings with LEDs at UC Santa Barbara’s Early Childhood Care and Education Services ($19,550)
The Orfalea Family Children’s Center (OFCC) on west campus is lit by its original inefficient fluorescent light fixtures. Lighting uses large amounts of energy and costs a substantial amount of money each year. Funding will be used to replace fluorescent lighting with LEDs. This project will save an estimated 16,224 kWh of electricity annually. 

Bren Hall Lab Corridor LED Retrofit ($2,619)
The proposed project will replace the existing compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) fixtures along the interior corridors of 3 floors in Bren Hall with LEDs. This project will save an estimated 6250 kWh of electricity annually. 

Reducing fossil fuels and increasing solar energy at UCSB’s Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserves ($8,303)
The proposed funding will be used to purchase and install a high-efficiency, solar-supplied heat pump water heating system at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL). The proposed system will replace a very old (~20years) propane-powered tank water heater, which will result in a ~3000 lbs reduction in annual CO2e emissions.

Updating solar infrastructure on the Santa Cruz Island Reserve ($10,428)
Funding will be used to replace the solar batteries and inverter used at the on-site Director’s Residence, which are nearly 20 years old and in desperate need of replacement. Their replacement will increase the electrical efficiency of the staff residence and decrease reliance on carbon-producing backup generators resulting in a ~2500 lb reduction in annual CO2e emissions.

Connecting the UCSB Solar Grid to the Greenhouse and Garden project ($3,050)
The requested funds will be used to connect the greenhouse and adjacent teaching area to the UCSB grid via a transformer box located close to the greenhouse.

Comparative Analysis of Accredited Electronics Recycling Certifications ($1,579)
Funding will be used to hire a student for an academic quarter to do a comprehensive written analysis between the two existing accredited certification standards for electronics recyclers:

  • Responsible Recycling ("R2") Standard for Electronics Recyclers
  • e-Stewards® Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment© ("e-Stewards®")

Lotte Lehmann Sustainable Lighting Initiative ($10,009)
Funding will be used to continue to transition the existing stage lighting in the concert hall to LED fixtures. In addition to saving approximately 3533 kWh annually, this project will also improve the quality of light, and reduce the amount of labor hours put in by the department’s technical staff, as they will no longer need to work at-height in a lift to replace color gels or lamps. 

American Indian and Indigenous Foods Garden Project ($7,438)
Funding will primarily be used for one student intern to help sustain the garden (The American Indian and Indigenous Gardens Project is a garden and community space hosted by UCSB West Campus Family Housing) (planting, watering, tending); coordinate and educate student garden volunteers; and plan, coordinate, deliver workshops in cooperation with our Chumash relatives on indigenous gardening practices (T.E.K.).

UC Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System Sustainability Assessment ($5,975)
Funds will support a UCSB undergraduate student intern, under the supervision of Katie Maynard, UCSB Sustainability Coordinator and the UCSB PACES program, to work directly with UCSB NRS Reserve Directors and staff to carry out a “sustainability assessment” of the seven UCSB Natural Reserves over the course of a one-year period.

The Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative ($22,624)
The Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative (STRI) strives to be an affordable, accessible, and sustainable technological repair resource in order to reduce digital inequality and e-waste on campus, launched as a pilot in 2019 with start-up funds from TGIF and the Office of Financial Aid. TGIF funding will be used for student salaries.  The ultimate goal for STRI  is to obtain a permanent funding source through a lock-in fee, which the student body would tentatively vote on in Spring 2023. In the interim, TGIF funding will allow STRI to continue developing from a pilot project to a fully operational permanent repair resource.

Isla Vista Theater 2 Lighting Retrofit ($10,510)
This project will upgrade the dimmable incandescent lighting system in Isla Vista Theater 2, which will provide better light quality, reduce maintenance needs, and be easier to operate for staff and faculty. The project will save ~6690 kWh in lighting energy annually. Additionally, the incandescent lighting system does not provide adequate light for note taking, or for events. The upgraded system will provide better light quality, reduce maintenance needs, and be easier to operate for staff and faculty.

Energy Efficient Window Film in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building ($16,450)
Funds will be used to install 3M Affinity Sun Control Window Film on all South facing windows in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building. Adding the 3M Affinity Sun Control Window Film will save energy needed for HVAC. 

TGIF Equipment Rebate Program ($10,000)
This year’s committee has awarded $10,000 to the Equipment Rebate Program. The program  offers $4,000 rebates (while funds last) to labs that recycle their old ULT freezers and buy an Energy Star model. The program also offers a rebate of up to $1000 for replacing old equipment (commercial refrigerators, washers and dryers, dishwashers, etc.) with significantly more efficient models.