Energy

Renewable Energy 

• SF State currently purchases over 20% of its energy from renewable resources. We purchase most of our electricity through a direct access agreement with Shell Energy North America and a smaller portion of the campus uses PG&E. View the breakdown of energy sources for Shell Energy North America and PG&E via the California Energy Commission's power content labels.
• Our on-campus fuel cell, a demonstration project in partnership with PG&E, is capable of producing 1.6MW of energy, or enough electricity to power 1,200 homes. The excess heat created in the process is captured and used to heat campus buildings. 
• The Mashouf Wellness Center has a 295 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on its roof.

Energy Efficiency 

• Despite increases in student population and the total square footage of campus buildings, SF State has stabilized its energy consumption.
• SF State has implemented dozens of grant-funded energy efficiency projects, including lighting retrofits in the parking garage, motion sensor-activated LED lighting in offices, and lighting system automation.
• New buildings on campus meet stringent energy efficiency requirements.

Energy Dashboard

Please click the button to explore our campus energy use. 

SF State performed well in the Building Energy Consumption credit due to our relatively low energy use intensity. Our mild climate allows us to cool buildings passively, avoiding the need for air conditioning. Our low score in the Clean and Renewable Energy in part reflects the challenge of building renewable energy projects on compact roofs in a foggy climate. The score can be improved by shifting our grid-purchased energy to more renewable sources.