Energy-Efficient Facilities That
Move Higher Education Forward
Campus-Wide Energy Solutions, Tailored to You
P2S specializes in designing energy-efficient solutions that help colleges and universities reduce operating costs, meet climate goals, and modernize aging infrastructure. From net-zero-ready buildings to smart campus-wide systems, our engineers work closely with facilities teams to deliver tailored strategies that improve performance while supporting long-term sustainability across every corner of campus.
Sustainable Design That Fits Every Campus
When it comes to energy efficiency in educational buildings, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. In this video, Wes McKean, Associate Principal and Education Group Manager at P2S, shares how our team tailors sustainable systems to meet the unique climate, size, and infrastructure needs of each campus. From natural ventilation to PV and battery storage, P2S helps institutions balance innovation with practicality—delivering solutions that work for both facilities staff and long-term campus goals.
Engineering the Path to
Net Zero at Saddleback College
Saddleback College is taking decisive steps toward achieving campus-wide Net Zero emissions—and P2S is proud to play a key role in supporting this transformation.
Guided by the college’s Facilities Master Plan, which prioritizes greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and long-term energy resilience, P2S is currently designing a fully electric Central Plant that will replace aging cogeneration equipment and transition the campus to clean, high-efficiency systems for heating and cooling.
Complementary efforts include 12kV electrical infrastructure upgrades and a multi-phase solar canopy and battery storage project that will significantly reduce grid dependency and operational emissions. From high-efficiency lighting and PV system design to targeted HVAC building upgrades, and the development of a new Career Technical Education (CTE) facility at the ATEP campus, each project contributes to Saddleback’s overarching goal: building a smarter, more sustainable campus that leads by example.
The Energy Roadmap
P2S engineers are called on to develop a roadmap for new buildings as well as building retrofits to achieve desired energy and carbon targets. Early stage energy modeling and analysis, developed with a holistic approach, results in a customized plan with itemized strategies and technologies while designing for flexibility and achieving efficiency targets.
The UC Riverside Student Success Center is a perfect example. This LEED Gold-certified facility has won numerous sustainability awards and exceeded the Owner’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) target through an integrated design process.
- All-Electric Building: Local heat recovery chiller cuts carbon emissions by 79% vs. campus steam system.
- Energy Use: Designed to an EUI of 34 kBtu/sf-yr, over 60% lower than an EPA baseline, comparison building (88 kBtu/sf-yr).
- Local Heating Plant: 600% efficient in heat recovery mode, delivering chilled and hot water vs. 65% efficiency campus steam system.
- Energy Reductions Measures: Heat recovery chiller saves 7 EUI points, indirect evaporative cooling saves 4 EUI points.
- 40% reduction in water use and 20% reduction in energy use compared to a baseline building
- Enhanced Indoor Air Quality: Increased outside air, 20% above ASHRAE Standard 62.1 - Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
Campus Projects
In the education market, P2S has designed sustainable buildings, central utility plants, and developed campus master plans in a wide variety of facility types and locales.
Learn more about our wide range of energy-efficient projects!
So Many Projects!
Over the decades P2S has had the opportunity to work on a variety of educational facilities, both new construction and energy renovations. Take a trip through some of these projects and campuses and see for yourself what the P2S experts can do.
- Sacramento State, Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex
- San Diego State, Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Student Recreation Center
- Riverside Community College, New Student Services & Administration
- Mt. San Antonio College Athletics Complex East
- Los Angeles Pierce College, Parking Lot PV Farms
- Glendale Community College, Classroom Building Renovation
- Mt San Antonio College, Student Success Center
- CSU Los Angeles, Student Services Building
- CSU Los Angeles, Bioscience Innovation Center
- Loyola Marymount University, Hannon Library
- East Los Angeles College, Science Career & Mathematics Complex
- CSU Long Beach, Student Recreation Center
- Crafton Hills College, Crafton Center
- Cal Poly Pomona, Student Housing Complex
- CSU Long Beach, Net-Zero Energy College of Professional & International Education
P2Podcast:
Student-Centric Design
A previously released P2Podcast with Scott Newman is worth a listen. This enlightening conversation explores the groundbreaking innovations brought to life in the Language Arts Complex at Golden West College in Huntington Beach.
The project focused on harnessing natural light, enhancing energy efficiency, and prioritizing the student experience.