2014 Grant Awards

Forest Power

Project Description:This project will replace the use of propane and grid electricity in favor of wood for heating water and space in the conference center at Blodgett Forest Research Station. Wood will be procured sustainably during the process of conducting research and demonstration activity done on adjacent University forestland. A hydronic heater placed outside of the building will combust wood and then heat water that will be sent into the adjacent building. This heated water will directly supply hot water and will interface with an existing forced air heating system to provide heat.

TGIF Award: $19,845

Lab Microscope Retrofits

Project Description: This project aims to alleviate a large part of the inefficiencies in research-grade microscopes powered by metal halide lamps by replacing them with thermally stable and efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps.

TGIF Award: $25,200 

Low Water Irrigation, Phase II

Project Description: The Low Water Irrigation Project will install five new weather stations on campus and will hire a student intern for monitoring and analysis. The weather stations will collect local weather (microclimate) information, recording temperature, humidity, wind, and solar data and adjust irrigation percentages against the base line.

TGIF Award: $11,378 

Max-R Bins

Project Description: This project will implement new Max-R centralized collection bins for landfill, mixed paper, bottles and cans, and compost, in large student use buildings. The addition of the new units in highly trafficked student buildings will help familiarize students with proper incentives to divert their wastes.

TGIF Award: $28,600

SERC Mobile App

Project Description: SERC and Chinook Book have teamed up to create a sustainable living and educational mobile app that is available for FREE to all UC Berkeley students, staff, and faculty. The app provides resources and discounts: events, jobs, links to sustainability organizations, and over 200 mobile coupons from sustainable local merchants. 

TGIF Award: $10,000 

South Hall Energy Efficiency

Project Description: This project will reduce the energy consumption of South Hall. By monitoring outlets throughout the building, energy usage patterns will be analyzed to create solutions for energy efficiency. The project leaders will install special smart plug load meters - technologies that have the ability to collect and store electricity usage data. 

TGIF Award: $12,400

Strawberry Creek Ecological Stabilization Project, Phase II

Project Description: The Strawberry Creek Ecological Stabilization Project is a student-initiated project to design and install ecologically-functional grade control structures for a degraded section of Strawberry Creek. In addition to increasing channel stability, this project is an ecological restoration effort to support local fish and riparian species by improving habitat conditions and planting native riparian vegetation.

TGIF Award: $25,600

Student Environmental Internship Program

Project Description: SETP will annually create an intentional learning community for 10 students and 10 staff mentors. The program aims to provide leadership training, professional development, and critical thinking skills to UC Berkeley’s student environmentalists. It also aims to cultivate further student-staff partnerships in the campus sustainability community. Students will complete paid work hours on campus sustainability projects and unpaid educational hours on course curriculum.

TGIF Award: $44,117 

Sustainable Food Stand

Project Description: The Berkeley Student Food Collective Food Hub will be a food cart placed around campus and select areas in Berkeley where students will be able to buy sustainable, organic, and delicious fruits, vegetables, and other snacks. It will be offered as a healthier alternative to other on-campus stores that may not offer a wide variety of healthy good options. 

TGIF Award: $4,202 (grant), $3,579 (loan)

Telegraph Green, Phase I

Project Description: This project will train students in green business certification, leverage the training to help south campus area student-serving businesses obtain green business certification, and promote green business consumer decisions via outreach in the campus community.

TGIF Award: $8,900

Video as Marketing for Event Waste Diversion

Project Description: The Video as Marketing for Waste Diversion program (VaMWD, pronounced as “vamed”) will create three video shorts (30 – 90 seconds) to increase campus awareness of waste diversion, and in the process, will provide student interns with a cross-disciplinary and hands-on education of filmmaking for environmental and social causes. 

TGIF Award: $11,398