UTSA SmartLiving Campus

UTSA SmartLiving Campus

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The UTSA SmartLiving campus is working to eliminate energy waste and maximize energy and economic efficiency through systems active control and technology upgrades to ensure long-term energy sustainability. Our campus is one of a few across the nation to embrace innovative technologies and serve as a living test bed to research efficient system responses to the day-to-day campus demand. Our research uses a multi-disciplinary approach to study the relationship of behavioral sciences and technology, and has active working relationships with 6 of the 7 colleges at UTSA.


Features:


• UTSA Multisite Solar-Farm has three installations stretching over the 1604 and downtown campuses and totals 1228 solar panels, 21 inverters, 18 Smart combiner boxes, and a website to display a real-time monitoring system that allows researchers and students to study solar power, irradiance and variability.
• Level III Electric Vehicle charging stations from Coulomb Technologies are deployed at both UTSA campuses for public use. 8 of the stations are available on the 1604 UTSA campus in the Jimenes Parking Garage and 3 are available at the downtown UTSA campus garage.
• Second by Second energy monitoring system tracks real-time energy consumption in all of the UTSA downtown campus buildings from the campus level, building level, floor level, and sub-zone. Each sensor is monitoring the HVAC, lighting, and plug load energy consumption.

 

Upcoming Goals:


• LED lighting in all of the UTSA downtown campus buildings to create energy and economic savings.
• Carbon monitoring sensors in two of the Durango building classrooms in order to manage cooling in classrooms as class size and schedules vary.
• Thermal camera sensors in the Buena Vista building to visualize heating and cooling patterns in the downtown cafeteria as kitchen needs and walk-through traffic fluctuate during the day.

Michael Cation, SmarteBuilding 

Juan Gomez, Ph.D., P.E. Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute

Rolando Vega, Ph.D., P.E. Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute