UC Davis Refrigerator-Freezer Replacement Program

Quick Links


The campus is offering rebates to departments that choose to replace old free-standing refrigerators or freezers with newly manufactured units.

The central campus will provide a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $400, to campus users who purchase qualifying units that replace existing units manufactured before 1990. The central campus will also pay the full cost of proper disposal of the old unit.

If you are able to consolidate contents and dispose of an old unit without replacing it with a new unit, the campus will pay your department an energy reduction award of $200. The central campus will also pay the full cost of proper disposal.

Please consider this program as an opportunity for you to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and to improve sustainability of the campus. Each replaced unit will save an about 1,300 kilowatt-hours and 1,000 pounds of carbon emissions per year.

The program will run until December 31, 2008.

Units that qualify for a rebate - replacement

  • The old refrigerator or freezer being replaced must have been manufactured before 1990. An estimate on your part – based on departmental records, visual inspection, or staff recollection – is acceptable.
  • The unit must be physically located on the Davis campus.
  • Trade-in or vendor disposal of existing refrigerators and freezers is not allowed under this program (please see "Disposal of the old unit" below).
  • The new equipment must be ENERGY STAR© rated. The UC Policy on Sustainable Practices states that, "For product categories that have ENERGY STAR© rated products available, the University will focus its procurement efforts only on products with an ENERGY STAR© rating, consistent with the needs of UC researchers." There are many ENERGY STAR© refrigerator and freezer models widely available. For information on ENERGY STAR© ratings, see: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=refrig.pr_refrigerators
  • The new equipment must be owned by the University
  • The new equipment must be newly manufactured.
  • The new equipment cannot be used to store flammable materials. Special equipment is required for refrigerators and freezers to store flammable materials – see PPM 290-65. These units are excluded from this program.
  • Units for student residence halls are excluded.

Units that qualify for an energy reduction award – disposal without replacement

  • The old refrigerator or freezer being replaced must have been manufactured before 1990. An estimate on your part – based on departmental records, visual inspection, or staff recollection – is acceptable.
  • The unit must be physically located on the Davis campus.
  • Trade-in or vendor disposal of existing refrigerators and freezers is not allowed under this program (please see "Disposal of the old unit" below).
  • Units from student residence halls are excluded.
  • If you are disposing contents that pose potential chemical, biological, or radiological hazards, be sure to follow appropriate procedures. For information, see http://www.ehs.ucdavis.edu/sftynet/sn-113.cfm
  • Skip the instructions below on "Procurement of a new unit" and proceed to "Disposal of the old unit."

Procurement of a new unit

  • For purposes of this program, the purchase of a typical free-standing refrigerator or -20º freezer will fall under the low-value departmental purchase delegation (unless the purchase exceeds $5,000; see PPM 350-21).
  • The campus Materiel Management unit has agreements in place with vendors that offer favorable pricing for both residential and laboratory grade refrigerators and freezers. If you wish to make your purchase under one of these agreements, go to http://ucdmm.ucdavis.edu/dm3/agreements.cfm. Use of these agreements for your purchase is voluntary. Scroll down to the "Laboratory/Medical Products" or "Miscellaneous Products & Supplies" category.
  • For laboratory refrigerators and freezers, use commodity code 46657. For general-use refrigerators and freezers, use commodity code 68648. PLEASE NOTE: purchase of units to be used in a laboratory environment must be placed on a departmental purchase order. Use of the purchasing card is acceptable for units that will be used for food storage only.
  • Trade-in or vendor disposal of existing refrigerators and freezers is not allowed under this program (please see "Disposal of the old unit" below).
  • You will likely want to receive the new unit and transfer contents from the old unit before disposing of the old unit. You must properly dispose of the old unit before receiving your rebate for the new purchase.
  • Initiate the process for disposal of the old unit (see below) at least two weeks before you expect to receive the new unit. Campus business units require about two weeks to process a disposal request before pick-up of the old unit.
  • If you are disposing contents that pose potential chemical, biological, or radiological hazards, be sure to follow appropriate procedures. For information, see http://www.ehs.ucdavis.edu/sftynet/sn-113.cfm

Disposal of the old unit

  • The central campus will directly pay for all disposal costs.
  • First, go to the Facilities Management web page at: http://facilities.ucdavis.edu
    • Click on blue box in upper left corner to submit a work request.
    • You will be prompted for your Kerberos password.
    • In the left column, click "New Work Request".
    • In the Short Description field, enter: "Refrig-freezer program"
    • In the Extended Description field, enter the appliance serial number, usually on the manufacturer’s nameplate.
    • Enter your Building number. Use the drop-down list "Find Buildings".
    • Enter the Room or other building location where the unit is to be picked up. If more space is needed, use the Extended Description field.
    • The system will automatically fill in your name and phone number.
    • Leave the remaining fields blank. No billing or accounting information is required, because the central campus is directly paying all disposal costs.
    • Click on "Save" at the bottom.
    • The system will immediately give you a unique 7-digit Work Order number for disposal of your unit. Record this number in your files.
    • Write the Work Order number directly onto the refrigerator/freezer unit. This will be used during pick-up to verify the correct unit.
  • With the Work Order in place, submit a request to the Bargain Barn for pick-up of the old unit:
    • Go to http://bargainbarn.ucdavis.edu/forms/BargainBarnReq.cfm.
    • Complete the on-line form. Leave the "Account or Billing ID" field blank.
    • In the description box at the bottom, start by stating: "For the Campus Refrigerator-Freezer Replacement program".
    • Also in the description box, be sure to include the approximate physical dimensions of the unit and the Facilities Work Order number, along with the make, model number, serial number and UC Davis property number if available.

Apply for your rebate – replacement

  • Send an e-mail to: fridge-freezer@ucdavis.edu, Subject: Rebate for refrigerator-freezer replacement
  • Provide your name and contact information.
  • Provide the Work Order number used for disposal.
  • Provide a copy (scanned PDF) of the sales receipt or invoice showing the manufacturer make and model number and the total purchase price of the new unit.
  • Provide a copy (scanned PDF) of the ENERGY STAR© tag affixed to the new unit. Alternative documentation is acceptable.
  • Provide your General Fund (19900) account number. The central campus will transfer your rebate into this account. The rebate will equal 50% of your procurement cost, up to $400. For example, if your cost is $700, the rebate will be $350. If your cost is $800 or more, the rebate will be $400.
  • Expect to receive the rebate within 60-90 days.

Apply for your energy reduction award – disposal without replacement

  • Send an e-mail to: fridge-freezer@ucdavis.edu, Subject: Energy reduction award for refrigerator-freezer disposal
  • Provide your name and contact information.
  • Provide the Work Order number used for disposal
  • Provide your General Fund (19900) account number. The central campus will transfer $200 into this account.
  • Expect to receive the award within 60-90 days.

Questions? Send an e-mail to fridge-freezer@ucdavis.edu