Labs, Lessons, and Lived Environments: Inside the BEST Center’s Fourteenth Building Automation Systems Workshop
The BEST Center hosted its fourteenth Building Automation Systems workshop in Milwaukee, bringing instructors from across the country together for five days of training, peer collaboration, and ideation for the future of energy-efficient building design.
Dr. Phillippe Phanivong on EcoBlock and Our Environmental Future
CIEE postdoctoral scholar Phillippe Phanivong reflects on his two years spent with the Oakland EcoBlock project, sharing lessons on advancing California’s decarbonization efforts through technical innovation and community collaboration.
CIEE Researchers Build Global Partnerships to Explore AI-Powered Solutions for Sustainable Urban Communities
Associate Director Dr. Therese Peffer and CIEE affiliate Dr. Miriam Aczel recently visited Europe to present their research on responsible AI use and sustainable buildings as part of a multinational project supported by the France-Berkeley Fund.
CIEE, BEST Center, and Partners Awarded $2M to Scale Demand Response in Commercial Buildings
The California Institute for Energy and Environment at CITRIS and Banatao Institute has been awarded a $2 million grant from the California Energy Commission for Super-GX, a project that will demonstrate demand response strategies in large commercial buildings.
Aoyu Zou Named 2025 Art Rosenfeld Fellow
CIEE is pleased to announce Aoyu Zou, a third-year PhD student in Architecture, as the 2025 Art Rosenfeld Award for Energy Efficiency winner. His research tackles the challenge of matching building HVAC operations with renewable energy generation from the grid.
As Heard on KQED: EcoBlock Revisited
A recent episode of KQED’s housing and climate podcast, Sold Out, revisited the Oakland EcoBlock pilot project since it was first featured in 2023. Led by researchers at the CIEE and the CITRIS Climate initiative, EcoBlock is addressing climate change at the urban block scale.
CIEE’s Evolving Visual Identity: A New Look for 2025 and Beyond
For over three decades, CIEE’s logo has evolved alongside its work in energy and climate research. As the Institute’s mission has changed, so too has its visual identity. The latest logo refresh honors the Institute’s legacy while balancing accessibility, versatility, and recognizability for the modern age.
Rich Brown Joins CIEE as an Academic Researcher
Rich Brown joins the California Institute for Energy and Environment as an academic researcher, where he will work on the Oakland EcoBlock project.
Advancing Energy-Efficient Buildings and Technician Education at the 2025 National Institute
Over 150 building professionals, college faculty, and students attended the annual conference, which was co-hosted by CIEE’s Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
From Local to Collective Climate Action: Recent Publications by Dr. Miriam Aczel
CIEE affiliate Dr. Miriam Aczel recently contributed to two publications that highlight the importance of aligning local and collective climate action for a sustainable future.