California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) Best Practice Awards highlight the achievements that California campuses have made through innovative and effective energy efficiency projects and sustainable operations, showcase specific projects as models to be used by other campuses to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability goals, and provide campus staff with a compendium of Best Practice projects that could be transferable to their campus.

Stanislaus State CHESC Awards: 

2020 Interdisciplinary Academics: Institutionalizing Teaching Sustainability/Campus as a Living Lab Faculty Learning Communities

Based on the success of two Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) in infusing sustainability into the curriculum of twenty-one courses from nineteen disciplines and in recognition of the crucial role that sustainability in the curriculum plays in empowering students with tools to address challenges resulting from the interconnectedness of environment, society, and the economy, Stanislaus State’s Teaching Sustainability/Campus as a Living Lab FLCs were institutionalized in support of the university’s strategic plan to prepare students for careers related to sustainability.

2016 Best Practices Award in Water Efficiency/Site Water Quality

Project Details: Conversion of Central Plant cooling towers’ water supply from domestic water to reclaimed irrigation water that reduced City of Turlock domestic water consumption by 20%. 100% of the tower blowdown is then captured and reclaimed for irrigation.

2014 Best Practices Award in Energy & Energy Efficiency

Project Details: Fume hood exhaust improvements on the third floor of Naraghi Hall of Science involve a retrofit of the original, high-volume ventilation system to a system that reduces flows through fume hoods to the lowest allowable levels. This project reduces overall average ventilation energy requirements by 50-60% and provides an annual energy savings of 440,146 kWh and 14,213 therms. 

2013 Best Practices Award for HVAC Design/Retrofit

Project Details: The Central Plant MBx/Retrofit optimized the performance of the campus chilled and hot water distribution systems and chiller plants to address operational issues with the goal of reducing energy usage. Major piping modifications and control strategies resulted in an annual energy savings of 213,998 kWh (24% of the total). 

CSU Facilities Managers Conference Best Practice Awards showcase and celebrate the hard work, innovations, and achievements of California State University campuses. Best Practice Awards are awarded in seven categories: energy, sustainability, physical plant, design, construction, student achievement, and environmental health and safety.

Stanislaus State's Facilities Managers Conference Best Practice Awards: 

2016 Best Practices Award in Facilities/Physical Plant Operations

Project Details: Conversion of Central Plant cooling towers’ water supply from domestic water to reclaimed irrigation water that reduced City of Turlock domestic water consumption by 20%. 100% of the tower blowdown is then captured and reclaimed for irrigation.

Updated: June 27, 2023