For over three decades, the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) has brought together world-class researchers and experts who advance California’s agenda in energy science, technology, and policy. Today, the CIEE logo has been refreshed to more accurately reflect its role and research, and to improve digital accessibility across its communications. This update continues the evolution of CIEE’s brand identity, which has been and continues to be shaped by the Institute’s expanding research efforts, challenges, and partnerships over the years.
1990s: Establishing California’s Leadership in Energy Efficiency
Originally known as the California Institute for Energy Efficiency, CIEE made its debut in 1989, operating under the UC Office of the President (UCOP). Embracing vibrant colors, drop shadows, and black outlines, CIEE’s initial logo emerged during the early digital age, when designers aimed to create dynamic, high-contrast logos that appeared to leap off the screen. The CIEE acronym, displayed in bright yellow, italicized serif lettering, was set against bold blue boxes that cascaded across the state of California, capturing the Institute’s multi-campus collaborations and impact across the Golden State.
During this time, CIEE started tackling energy issues from various behavioral, policy-oriented, and technological angles. From improving air distribution in homes to developing diagnostic systems for large commercial buildings, the Institute’s studies explored energy efficiency across scales, leading scientists and scholars to innovate toward a more sustainable future.
2000s: Cultivating Collaborative Climate Initiatives
The 2000s were defined by organizational shifts that resulted in the use of several logos. The Institute kept its original initials but changed its name to the California Institute for Energy and Environment in the preceding years, accompanying a transition towards broader research efforts in sustainability. The blue and gold in the second iteration of the logo reflected the Institute’s continued affiliation with the UC, and this version marked the debut of CIEE’s acronym-centric wordmark, iterations of which have been used ever since.
By 2008, CIEE had moved to UC Berkeley, and operated as part of the Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute (BECI), fostering interdisciplinary research partnerships between UC Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBNL), and other external partners. The Institute’s focus on cross-institutional collaboration and global impact was represented in its graphic icon.
This era in CIEE’s history was defined by systems-level approaches to climate and energy challenges. For example, the Institute worked on the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, a major study led by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from 2003-2013. With over 100 partners across academia, government, non-profit, and industry, the project sought to identify major stationary sources of carbon dioxide and potential geologic formations for storing it securely on the West Coast of the U.S. Another such example was managing California’s Third and Fourth Climate Change Assessments. In collaboration with the CEC and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), CIEE brought together UC researchers to assess California’s climate risks and provide research-backed recommendations for policymakers and planners.
2018-2024: Innovating at the Intersection of Climate and Technology
In 2018, CIEE joined forces with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute as part of CITRIS Climate. This partnership was visually represented through a logo lockup that strengthened the brand recognition of both institutions while maintaining their distinct visual identities.
Since then, CIEE’s research has continued to span an ambitious scope of topics with a common thread: to efficiently apply cutting-edge technologies in service to society. Notable projects include the Hamilton project, which created a low-cost, open-source wireless sensor system for energy-efficient building management; and the Oakland EcoBlock, a first-of-its-kind neighborhood-scale retrofit to decarbonize cities quickly, affordably, and equitably.
Present Day: Honoring the Past and Embracing the Future
As the world entered a new digital media environment in the 2020s, the Institute had to adapt to represent a majority of its work digitally, on screens large and small. This, coupled with improvements in and greater awareness of accessibility standards, made it clear that a more digitally accessible brand identity was necessary, as many of CIEE’s original design elements were created before the rise of smartphones and current accessibility standards.
In late 2024, the CIEE communications team embarked on a four-month process to update the Institute’s branding. The logo refresh project was conceived as the first step to reflect CIEE’s current organizational makeup and research and to bring it in line with current accessibility standards and a wide variety of screen sizes. Through multiple stakeholder surveys, the team conducted a brand identity exploration to better understand CIEE’s brand perception and clarify its core values.
The composition of the original wordmark was retained for brand recognition and continuity while color and typographical changes were made to increase contrast and ensure readability at all scales. Multiple colorways were explored, especially as they can serve as a shortcut to conveying intangible qualities, and the final logo reflects the themes of innovation, collaboration, and trustworthiness. Moreover, the colors in the logo were chosen to represent the key entities associated with CIEE: UC Berkeley’s official dark blue, CITRIS’s light blue, and CIEE’s signature yellow to reflect the Institute’s identity and history with the Golden State.
The team wanted to develop easily recognizable iconography alongside the wordmark to capture the essence of CIEE in ever-smaller screens and formats, so significant work went into the design of a pictorial embodiment of the Institute. The new logo centers around the sun to embody CIEE’s work on energy and sustainability, and its rays represent not only the environment, but the interdisciplinary partnerships CIEE fosters to advance California’s research agenda on energy and climate. Outward-branching gradients allude to the Institute’s role in propelling future ideas and innovation in these areas.
Looking Ahead
The logo refresh is a new chapter in CIEE’s visual evolution, one that is shaped by the Institute’s continued dedication to driving sustainable innovation for public good. As California’s energy and climate landscape continues to change, CIEE remains committed to leading with impactful research collaborations and a vision for a brighter, more resilient world.
Keep an eye out for CIEE’s new visual identity, including the updated logo, as it rolls out in 2025!