In the early 2010s, when much of the energy industry was focused on refining fossil fuel-based systems, Stanford took a bold step forward by reimagining the system entirely.

“We envisioned building a low-carbon energy system designed from the ground up for the 21st century, with the ultimate goal of being powered predominantly by renewable energy,” said Jack Cleary, associate vice president for academic projects and operations within Land, Buildings, and Real Estate (LBRE). “And today, we are proud to say that vision has been achieved.”

The result is the Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) program, which came online in 2015 and transformed the university’s energy system into one powered predominantly by 100% renewable energy, provided through the production of two Stanford solar generating stations and grid direct access.

Last Thursday, an estimated 300 guests gathered at the Central Energy Facility on the west side of campus to celebrate a decade of SESI. Cleary emceed the event, which was organized by Stanford’s Office of Sustainability in coordination with the Energy Operations team. It included campus leaders closely involved with the project, who remarked on the success of the program, as well as state and local government leaders who shared their congratulations.

David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission, said that energy transition is one of the most important initiatives happening in the country and the world. “A project like this represents hope and the promise that we can build the future that the next generation and the generations to follow deserve.”

Ron Gawer, LBRE’s senior director of energy operations, led SESI’s implementation and said its model can be replicated in private homes, on college campuses, and by cities. Over the last decade, thousands from around the country and the world have visited Stanford to tour the Central Energy Facility and learn about SESI, many adopting the plan for their own facilities and energy initiatives.

“It’s just exciting to me, not just to do good engineering but to have other people pick that up and take it with them and help reimagine their energy systems,” Gawer said.

Celebrating innovation

SESI was born out of the university’s Energy and Climate Action Plan of 2009, which called for more efficient buildings, innovations in conservation, and energy supply changes, with the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for the university by 2050. In 2015, the construction of the Central Energy Facility brought SESI online, officially retiring the university’s older steam system powered with natural gas.

According to Gawer, in its first year of operation, SESI reduced Stanford’s greenhouse gas emissions by 68% through heat recovery and thermal energy storage. Stanford’s first solar generating station came online the following year and a second plant became operational in 2022. Stanford has since reduced Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.

At Thursday’s celebration, guests enjoyed music and refreshments and toured the Central Energy Facility, where Stanford’s energy experts were stationed at “hot spots” to explain how SESI’s various components operate and how the facility is used as a living lab by Stanford academics to advance teaching and research.

Resiliency and the future

Organizations and municipalities everywhere face energy challenges, and Stanford is no exception. A local wildfire in 2022, for instance, disrupted PG&E transmission lines that feed Stanford, resulting in a campus power outage. To mitigate future disruptions, Stanford has implemented improvements to its energy system, including campus-wide electrical upgrades that are currently underway.

“This improvement will increase the reliability of our electrical distribution system, and it will set us up for continuing our vision of being fully electrified – a resilient campus that we can journey on toward the future of any power option that the future may hold,” Gawer said.

Lincoln Bleveans, LBRE’s executive director for sustainability utilities and infrastructure, said that in the years ahead, Stanford will continue to prioritize three areas of its energy system. First, increasing electrical and thermal capacity to keep pace with rising temperatures and campus growth. “We are facing this challenge head on, planning for more electricity supply from the grid, as well as more cooling capacity from our thermal plant,” he said.

Second, improving the reliability of Stanford’s energy system. In addition to the electrical upgrades, Bleveans said Stanford is working with PG&E to increase inbound electric capacity. And third, making Stanford’s campus more sustainable. While Stanford has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 80%, the remaining 20% will require replacing remaining natural gas infrastructure and appliances with thermal energy from SESI or, where that’s not feasible, with renewable electricity.

Scaling solutions

As state and local leaders work to achieve energy and climate goals, many are looking to Stanford for inspiration.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee said the success of SESI and the Central Energy Facility demonstrates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through heat recovery and thermal energy storage. “This is truly a great example of thinking locally but acting globally,” he said.

Santa Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller said, “What Stanford is doing here isn’t just a source of renewable energy generation for this campus, it’s a source of hope for the region and for the state and beyond.”