How we Power

Energy at SFSU

Renewable energy

San Francisco State University currently purchases 32% renewable energy through a direct access agreement with Shell Energy North America and a small portion of the campus uses PG&E. We have solar photovoltaic systems on the roof of the of Mashouf Wellness Center and the Science and Engineering Innovation Center but due to our foggy climate, building additional renewable energy projects on compact roofs has presented many challenges. We are actively working towards purchasing energy from renewable sources that aligns with our budget and other solutions. 

Energy efficiency

• Despite having several old buildings on campus, our campus has low energy consumption due to our low energy use intensity. Our mild climate allows us to cool buildings passively, avoiding the need for air conditioning and greatly decreasing our energy needs.
• Even with increases in student population and the total square footage of campus buildings, SF State has stabilized its energy consumption.
• SF State has implemented dozens of grant-funded energy efficiency projects, including lighting retrofits in the parking garage, motion sensor-activated LED lighting in offices and lighting system automation.
• All new buildings are required to be LEED Gold certified or higher, which requires stringent energy efficiency.

Our impact: Greenhouse gas emissions 

SFSU reduced our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 30% below 1990 levels in January 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, emissions from 2020-2022 were incredibly low. Now that we are fully back in-person and on campus, our GHG emissions have returned to pre-pandemic levels. While SFSU has a relatively low greenhouse gas footprint due to its mild climate and sustainable commute patterns, there is still much work to be done to become a carbon-neutral campus and we are dedicated to reach that goal. SFSU conducts regular inventories to ensure we know where we are emitting. Currently, 60% of GHG emissions come from commuting. Learn how we’re reducing transportation emissions through how we commute.

Energy and greenhouse gas emissions dashboard

Check out the CSU Energy Dashboard to see the energy usage of all 23 campus of the California State University system. Explore how our campus uses energy and where we emit greenhouse gas in our Energy and GHG dashboard.

SFSU's energy and GHG Dashboard