Stanford Sustainable Stanford
Sustainable Stanford Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) Sustainable Stanford
Sustainable Stanford

Energy Systems

The components of Stanford's energy supply consist of a hot and chilled water distribution system, electric distribution with direct access to the grid, and the Central Energy Facility, which houses the innovative heat recovery system, thermal storage, and a model predictive control platform.

Hot and Chilled Water Distribution

With SESI's heat recovery design, the interplay between hot and chilled water loop systems across campus is very efficient, greatly reducing heat loss throughout the distribution system, as well as safer and substantially more sustainable in meeting the campus' cooling  and heating needs.

Water Distribution System

Electric Distribution

The campus utilizes reliable power to keep people safe and the campus thriving. With an on-site, high-voltage substation that receives electricity from the state grid, and procured by renewable sources, this particular approach to electric distribution enables campus operations to run more smoothly to support the teaching and research mission of the university. 

Electric Distribution 

Central Energy Facility (CEF)

The Central Energy Facility houses three large water tanks for thermal energy storage, chillers as part of a heat recovery system that capitalizes on Stanford's overlap in heating and cooling needs, and a 24/7 monitored controls room with patented plant optimization software. 

Central Energy Facility

Scalability

Find technical resources of our processes

100 % Renewable Electricity

Read about this milestone

Resilience

Learn about reliability of the system

Plan a Visit

Tour this must-see facility to see how we’ve made sustainability innovation real and shifted the university energy supply from a 100% fossil fuel-based combined heat and power plant to grid-sourced electricity and a more efficient heat recovery system.

Visit the Central Energy Facility