Western Cooling Efficiency Center

What Western Cooling Efficiency Center does

The Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) is a university research center within the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute, founded in 2007 and headquartered at 215 Sage St., Suite #100, Davis, California. Its mission is to accelerate the development and commercialization of efficient heating, cooling, and energy distribution solutions through applied research, laboratory testing, real-world demonstrations, and stakeholder engagement. The center maintains roughly 20-30 staff and student researchers and is organized around research areas including building envelope sealing, heat exchangers, evaporative cooling, heat pumps, indoor air quality, sensors and controls, virtual power plants, energy storage, product evaluation, and market transformation.

WCEC's technical portfolio spans patented process technologies, advanced research facilities, and software tools. Core intellectual property includes the AeroBarrier aerosol envelope sealing process (developed in-house, patented, and licensed to Aeroseal in 2016, now sold through a national dealer network) and patented Microchannel Polymer Heat Exchangers (MPHX) used in the HoMEDUCS modular data center cooling system. The center operates two distinctive facilities: an HVAC environmental chamber capable of simulating 15°F-110°F with controlled humidity, and the STEEL (Solar/Supercritical CO2 Thermal and Energy Enhancement) Laboratory featuring a 7-meter parabolic solar dish and a 200 bar / 700°C supercritical CO2 flow loop for high-temperature heat exchanger research. Software outputs include the open-source Psych Excel plugin, R22 Calc LabVIEW subVI, and the SPARC-DR predictive control platform used in virtual power plant demonstrations.

WCEC is funded almost exclusively through project-based grants from government agencies (California Energy Commission, Department of Energy, ARPA-E, California Air Resources Board), utility programs (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SMUD), and a tiered Affiliate Program with industry memberships ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 annually. Its go-to-market combines event-driven applied research collaborations with manufacturers, policymakers, and utilities, and community-led engagement through publications, webinars, workshops, and an annual Affiliates Forum. Primary customer segments are California government agencies and IOUs (vertical, primary), HVAC and building technology manufacturers (vertical, primary), university and graduate students (horizontal), and industry consultants and R&D engineers (use case).

Name

Western Cooling Efficiency Center

Legal name

Western Cooling Efficiency Center

Website

https://wcec.ucdavis.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) is a UC Davis university research center that conducts applied research, laboratory testing, and real-world demonstrations of energy-efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation technologies, serving California and federal agencies, investor-owned utilities, and HVAC manufacturers through grant-funded projects and a tiered industry Affiliate Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Energy Efficiency Research and HVAC Testing

NAICS

Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Equipment (Heating, Cooling & Air Handling) (IMAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF), Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG), HVAC Service, Maintenance & Repair (BPABACAA), Heat Transfer Fluids (IMAEAMAG)

Keywords

• HVAC efficiency research
• Building envelope sealing
• Evaporative cooling systems
• Heat exchanger development
• Applied energy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Sponsorships and Grants: WCEC is funded through project-based funding from government agencies (California Energy Commission, Department of Energy, ARPA-E, California Air Resources Board), utility programs (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SMUD), and private sponsors. The center relies exclusively on project-based funding and sponsorships.
2. Affiliate Program Memberships: Companies pay annual unrestricted membership gifts to participate in the WCEC Affiliate Program. Membership tiers range from $10,000 to $30,000 per year for industry based on annual revenue, with additional options for utilities and nonprofits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WCEC conducts applied research, testing, and demonstration of energy-efficient heating, cooling, ventilation, and energy distribution technologies for buildings and data centers. It operates the HVAC Lab and STEEL Lab facilities, licenses patented technologies such as AeroBarrier and MPHX, runs an Affiliate Program for industry stakeholders, and partners with manufacturers, utilities, and government agencies on sponsored research projects.

Product overview

The Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) at UC Davis is a research center that develops, tests, and demonstrates energy-efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation technologies rather than a unified product company. Its portfolio includes patented technologies (AeroBarrier aerosol sealing, MPHX microchannel polymer heat exchangers), commercialized products (Climate Wizard evaporative cooling systems with Seeley International), software tools (Psych Excel plugin, R22 Calc LabVIEW subVI), and specialized facilities (HVAC Lab, STEEL Lab). The center also develops modular data center cooling solutions (HoMEDUCS), building control platforms (SPARC-DR), and provides product evaluation services through its Product Evaluation Hub. Research outputs include publications, reports, and technology transfer to industry partners rather than packaged software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AeroBarrier: An aerosol-based building envelope sealing technology developed by WCEC, now licensed to Aeroseal. It automatically locates and seals air leaks using pressurized aerosolized sealants.

Products and services

• AeroBarrier Aerosol Envelope Sealing
• Climate Wizard (CW3 and CW Hybrid)

Quantifiable outcome

• Aerosol envelope sealing: 80% of available leaks sealed in under 2 hours; 53% average leakage reduction for California homes, 64% for apartment units
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

36 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional core, founding / core, founding and minor.

• AeroBarrier / AerosealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeroBarrier, part of the Aeroseal family of products, is a building envelope sealing technology that WCEC developed, patented, and licensed to Aeroseal in 2016. WCEC continues to conduct research on aerosol sealing applications including building envelopes, ducts, and natural gas infrastructure.
• Carrier CorporationmajorTechnology or IntegrationCarrier Corporation is an affiliate member and HVAC manufacturer partner. Carrier acquired Aeroseal (aerosol duct sealing technology founded by WCEC's Mark Modera) in 2001. Carrier participates in WCEC's research programs and steering committee.
• DaikinmajorTechnology or IntegrationDaikin is an affiliate member of WCEC and global leader in air conditioning solutions. Daikin participated in the 2017 Future of Refrigerants Panel at WCEC's annual event, providing manufacturer perspective on next-generation refrigerants.
• TranemajorTechnology or IntegrationTrane is an affiliate member and sponsor, providing research funding and industry perspective on HVAC systems and building management controls. Collaborated on thermal energy storage valuation research.
• Seeley InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeley International is WCEC's collaborator on Climate Wizard indirect-direct evaporative cooling systems. WCEC has conducted laboratory testing, modeling, and field testing of Seeley's CW3 residential and CW Hybrid commercial products. Coolerado (another collaborator) was purchased by Seeley.
• PanasonicmajorTechnology or IntegrationPanasonic is an affiliate member and sponsor of WCEC research. Panasonic has collaborated on building energy efficiency and cooling technology research as part of their innovations in the built environment.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)regional coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMUD is an affiliate member serving 592,000 customers. SMUD provides utility perspective on energy efficiency programs and participates in research projects addressing demand reduction and grid reliability in the Sacramento region.
• Southern California Edisonregional coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern California Edison (SCE) is an affiliate member and research sponsor. SCE has funded WCEC research on condenser-air pre-coolers, evaporative cooling, and demand response technologies.
• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)regional coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDG&E is an affiliate member serving 3.6 million people. SDG&E sponsors research on evaporative cooling and efficient HVAC technologies for the San Diego region.
• Xcel EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXcel Energy is an affiliate member and major U.S. electric/natural gas utility with operations in eight states. Xcel Energy contributes research funding and participates in steering committee to guide WCEC's research priorities.
• Energy SolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy Solutions is an affiliate member and sponsor focused on market-based energy, carbon, and water management solutions. Provides research collaboration on building efficiency programs.
• California Energy Commissionfounding / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe California Energy Commission is a founding institution and primary research sponsor, providing funding for HVAC testing, building envelope research, dairy cooling, ground-source heat pumps, and market transformation programs. The CEC is California's primary energy policy and planning agency.
• New Energy NexusfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Energy Nexus is a founding institution and international clean energy accelerator that supports entrepreneurs with funds, accelerators, and networks. Originally founded in California with operations in China, India, Southeast Asia, and East Africa.
• Department of Energy - ARPA-EcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) funds WCEC research on high-efficiency cooling technologies including the HoMEDUCS modular data center cooling and additively manufactured heat exchangers (HiTEMMP project, $2.2M award).
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley Lab collaborated on building leakage diagnostics with IoT-enabled sensor networks. Several WCEC alumni and faculty have connections with LBNL. WCEC's aerosol sealing technology originated from LBNL research.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNREL is a research partner collaborating on building energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Collaborated on RTU optimization and demand response projects.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORNL collaborates on building science and energy efficiency research as one of the DOE national laboratories managed by UT-Battelle.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNNL collaborates as a DOE national laboratory on energy efficiency research and building technology evaluation.
• Oregon State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOregon State University collaborates with WCEC on microchannel solar receiver development for the DOE SETO program. OSU researchers design microchannel receivers with sCO2 flow through microchannel pin fin arrays, which are tested at WCEC's STEEL lab.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMU collaborates on additively manufactured high temperature/pressure microchannel heat exchangers (ARPA-E HiTEMMP project, $2.4M). CMU designs and fabricates novel heat exchangers using metal additive manufacturing, which are tested at WCEC's STEEL facility.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPRI provides thought leadership and industry expertise supporting WCEC research on next-generation residential space conditioning systems funded by the California Energy Commission.
• Olivine, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlivine, Inc. is a partner in the Powering Yolo Forward virtual power plant project. Olivine coordinates with WCEC's VPP operator to enable participation in grid services through the community-scale demonstration project in Yolo County.
• City of DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Davis is a partner in the Powering Yolo Forward project, providing public buildings for VPP demonstration. The project coordinates cooling systems and flexible loads across municipal facilities for grid services.
• Yolo CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYolo County is a partner in the Powering Yolo Forward project, providing public facilities for virtual power plant demonstration and flexible load coordination.
• CalNEXTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalNEXT is California's statewide emerging technology program that identifies, tests, and supports electric technologies for energy efficiency and decarbonization. UC Davis researchers have contributed to several CalNEXT-funded projects on multifunction heat pumps, heat pump rooftop units, and flexible energy use.
• NRDCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an affiliate member combining expertise of 700+ scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates to ensure environmental protection. NRDC supports WCEC's mission to advance efficient heating and cooling solutions.
• CAL SMACNAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCalifornia Association of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (CAL SMACNA) represents 600+ sheet metal and HVAC contractors employing 25,000+ union workers. Affiliate member supporting industry workforce development.
• Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMWIA is an affiliate member representing 150,000+ skilled workers in construction, manufacturing, and service industries. Supports workforce development for energy efficiency installations.
• ICB/TABBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Certification Board and Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau offer the first and only ANSI-accredited HVAC testing, adjusting, and balancing certification program. Affiliate member.
• TRCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRC is an affiliate member and a leader in professional services for public, private, and government clients with expertise in environmental consulting, engineering, and applied technology.
• Rocky Mountain InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRocky Mountain Institute (RMI) decarbonizes energy systems through market-based interventions. RMI collaborates on research supporting energy efficiency and grid flexibility.
• Department of Energy - Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSETO advances solar technology through funding for WCEC's microchannel solar receiver development project with Oregon State University. Project focuses on heat exchangers for solar power generation.
• California Technical ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCal TF is a collaborative of experts providing independent technical information review for California's integrated demand side management portfolio.
• California Institute for Energy and EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIEE is a UC-based research institute that initiates, plans, manages, and administers public-interest energy research, partnering with CEC, CPUC, DOE, and utilities.
• Prospect Silicon ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProspect SV operates a Technology Demonstration Center in San Jose advancing urbantech solutions for energy efficiency in the built environment.
• Bira EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIRAenergy is a for-profit consortium of energy efficiency, solar energy, and Zero Net Energy technology integrators led by Dr. Rob Hammon, acknowledged as one of the 'Fathers of ZNE' in California.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Independent applied research organization focused on energy decarbonization, including buildings and grid. Listed as a WCEC affiliate member and partner with overlapping research on energy efficiency and grid flexibility.
• Aeroseal / AeroBarrier: Commercial spin-off that licenses WCEC's aerosol envelope sealing technology under the AeroBarrier brand through a national dealer network. Closest commercial descendant of WCEC IP and a partner/customer relationship rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC manufacturer and major WCEC affiliate/sponsor that has co-funded thermal energy storage valuation research. A broad incumbent with overlapping interests in HVAC efficiency and building controls.
• Carrier Corporation: Global HVAC OEM that acquired WCEC-spin-off Aeroseal in 2001 and is an affiliate member/sponsor. Operates broadly across residential and commercial HVAC rather than specializing in research, but serves as both customer and commercialization partner.
• Daikin: Global air conditioning OEM and WCEC affiliate member contributing refrigerant and AC expertise. Broad incumbent operating across commercial and residential AC, less specialized in research than WCEC.

Direct peers

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Department of Energy national laboratory with a Building Technologies department that conducts HVAC, building envelope, and heat transfer research. WCEC's aerosol sealing technology originated at LBNL and the two maintain active collaboration, making LBNL the closest peer in mission and capabilities.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): DOE national laboratory with major building energy efficiency, HVAC optimization, and demand response programs. NREL collaborates with WCEC on RTU optimization and demand response, and competes for federal HVAC/cooling research funding.
• Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC): University of Central Florida research center focused on solar energy, building energy efficiency, and HVAC testing in hot/humid climates. Closest mission-aligned university research center peer to WCEC outside of California.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL): DOE national laboratory with energy efficiency and building technology evaluation programs that overlap with WCEC's product evaluation and HVAC research scope; listed as an active WCEC collaborator.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL): DOE national laboratory with the Building Envelope & Urban Systems Research group working on HVAC, heat exchangers, and envelope performance. ORNL is a WCEC collaborator and direct competitor for federal building science grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW3j8gqJ_mAfbbTtRHgFLdA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/western-cooling
• Xx.com/wcec_ucdavis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Western Cooling Efficiency Center