The Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC), located in the West Village section of the UC Davis campus, was established in 2007 through a grant from the California Clean Energy Fund and in partnership with California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program. The Center strives to reduce energy demand and water consumption in housing and buildings by collaborating with industry leaders to develop new, innovative and efficient cooling technologies.

The WCEC conducts research, laboratory testing, demonstrations, and community outreach related to climate appropriate cooling technologies. Located in the heart of UC Davis’ new student housing developments, it’s easy for the Center to get exposure into Davis’ growing community.

Laura Flynn, a master's graduate student in the Community Development Graduate Group, is a Graduate Student Researcher at the WCEC. She currently works on the Behavioral Research Initiative, which looks at people’s motivations, goals and values as they impact their behavior and choices on energy consumption and use of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Flynn is also involved in a project that examines the usability of in-home energy displays and the impact of attitudes and other social and psychological constructs on residential energy use and response to energy use feedback.

To further its influence on the climate technology industry, the WCEC invites industry leaders to take part in the Western Cooling Challenge – a competition that encourages further innovation in the field of climate technology. The overall goal of the Challenge is to find new, commercialized product designs that will reduce electrical demand and energy use.

With its own research projects and evaluations of alternative climate technologies, the WCEC serves as an example of why UC Davis was voted the #1 "Cool School" in the nation – by decreasing the overuse of water and energy.