Case Study
Santa Clara University
Location Santa Clara, CA
Owner Santa Clara University
Projects Energy Master Planning | Green Building Standards | Energy Efficiency Retrofits
Scale Campus Wide | 106 Acres
Project overview
Since 2019, Brodie has been engaged with Santa Clara University in their pursuit of ambitious sustainability goals. Through the management of solar projects, building efficiency upgrades, and the exhaustive effort of connecting the University’s recycled water system to the City’s, Brodie has aided SCU in achieving their net-zero carbon goals, aided by supplemental REC purchases.
Most recently, SCU’s 2030 goals for the campus have expanded to a 35% reduction in EUI, targeted electrification, a reduction in their reliance on RECs, and a reduction in water use per person by 30%. In this pursuit, Brodie’s Sustainability Advisory division, in collaboration with the University’s Operations division and Center for Sustainability, is developing an Energy Master Plan and Green Building standards for all new construction and retrofit projects.
THE OPPORTUNITIES
SCU prioritizes sustainability across the campus, whether through operations, its curriculum, or student programs. Although prioritized, a concentrated effort to meet their latest goals had not been pursued and, in 2023, Brodie’s SA division met with SCU Operations and Center for Sustainability to understand, and help fill, their scope gaps.
Working closely with SCU’s Energy Manager, Brodie has assisted in developing the baseline dataset, a list of potential projects, and a set of green building standards for use across campus.
Services Provided
- Sustainable Project Charrettes
- Life Cycle Analysis
- Green Building Consulting
- Energy Master Planning
- Project Management
- ROM Pricing
- Operations Planning
- High Level Data Analytics
Energy Master Planning
Brodie’s Sustainability Advisory division is developing an energy master plan in coordination with SCU’s Operations and Energy Management teams. Work began in 2024 to document and audit all existing and planned onsite renewables including their solar PV, solar thermal, and fuel cells systems. Brodie will be responsible for the following:
- Evaluating current and future energy needs
- Developing a comprehensive list of energy efficiency upgrades and future renewable energy projects to exceed SCU’s sustainability goals
- Evaluating the financial viability of potential projects
GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS
Brodie’s Sustainability Advisory division worked closely with SCU Project Managers, the VP of Operations, and the Center for Sustainability, to reimagine their outdated building standards, blending its project management and sustainable buildings expertise to produce a set of achievable, and digestible, Green Building Standards which Project Managers can implement across their projects with success. Using both a narrative and checklist format, Brodie built a formal process for inclusion and engagement with the Center for Sustainability throughout the project cycle, anticipating a high rate of adoption.
LED LIGHTING UPGRADES
During the 2020 shutdown, Brodie managed the permitting, construction, and rebate process for LED lighting upgrades across four residence halls, the campus dining hall, bookstore, and accessory structures, totalling over 250,000sf and more than 1,000 individual spaces.
Estimated annual energy savings exceeded 600MWh accounting for nearly $85,000 in annual savings to the University due in part to decreased HVAC and maintenance costs.
RECYCLED WATER
Since 2018, Brodie has worked with the University, South Bay Water Recycling (SBWR), and the City of Santa Clara, to connect the irrigation system of the North block of campus to the recycled water loop. The City’s stringent regulations and unclear guidance led to years of complications, which Brodie navigated through cross-connection testing, documentation, and patience. In 2023, the North block was successfully connected to the system, reducing the domestic water needs of the campus by over 10%.
