The Merced campus of the University of California is the first new research campus to be built in the United States in the 21st century, and it is the 10th campus in the UC system. Located in the San Joaquin Valley of central California, UC Merced opened in Fall 2005 and will be gradually expanded over 25 years. The first phase of the campus includes a Central Plant, a Classroom and Office Building, a Library, a Science and Engineering Building, and student housing with a dining hall and commons. UC Merced is one of the first multiple-building campus projects to use the LEED rating system. The campus' certification goal is to achieve a minimum LEED Silver rating for all buildings. Its Central Plant has achieved a LEED Gold rating; LEED applications for other buildings will soon be submitted for certification. Land preservation and energy efficiency are two of the campus' major priorities. Thousands of acres have been protected as open space around the campus, and the campus buildings are designed to achieve energy savings of 35%-50% beyond Title-24-2001 requirements.