Facilities Management

Power & Lights

UC Davis manages its own electrical substation to provide power to nearly all campus facilities.  This unit manages the high-voltage distribution system, exterior lighting systems, and back-up diesel generators.

Electricity distribution:

• 12 kv underground cables: 27 miles
• 12 kv overhead wires: 13 miles
• Electric utility poles: 687
• Low Voltage Transformers: 542
• Vaults and pull boxes: 234
• Emergency Generators: 105

High Voltage Unit

• Maintain and operate all systems and devices at the 115 kV Main Substation, and all systems and devices on the 12 kV underground and overhead distribution systems on the Core, West, and South Campuses.  
• Responsible for wire or cable from the building transformer up to the building’s Main Switchgear. 

Exterior Lighting & Traffic Signal Unit

• Maintain and operate all exterior lighting systems and devices. 
  This includes:
  • street lights
  • path lights
  • courtyard lights
  • Rec Field lights (Not included are Toomey Field and the new Football Stadium, they are privately owned and maintained)
  • tennis court lights
  • parking lot & structure lights
  • and exterior wall pack lights that are attached to the outside of the building.
• In addition, they maintain the 5 traffic signal systems on campus.

Emergency Generator Unit

• Maintain and operate over 130 emergency generators systems and devices. 
• This includes:
  • the generator
  • fuel systems
  • automatic transfer switches
• The generator provides backup power to the building’s emergency electrical panels.  The BMS Electrical Department is responsible for the buildings emergency electrical panels.