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  1. Wood Mizer Mill has Arrived!

    Associated Project(s): 

    The SSC funded project "Campus Lumber Project", made a major step forward today with the arrival of the battery operated Wood Mizer sawmill at the Race and Windsor forestry plot today. The sawmill is being stored in an open structure which will protect it from rain and harsh weather. Space inside the sawmill will be cleared, and leveled with gravel to accommodate the mill and its operations. 

    See attached a few photos of the sawmill upon its delivery. 

  2. Meeting with Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francisco, and Sterling Laylock

    Morgan White, Sarthak Prasad, and Quinn Connolly met with Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francsico, and Sterling Laylock to discuss HVAC projects. Below are notes from the meeting:

    Techlink: Contaminant Flow Calculator and Intelligent HVAC

    • Attended by - Sarthak Prasad, Morgan White, Sterling Laylock, Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francisco, and Quinn Connolly
    • Introductions
      • Mark talked about the research
        • Partial differential equation
        • Solve issues using the software
    • Sterling is going to facilitate the meeting
      • Intelligent HVAC systems patent from Mark Ginsberg
      • License the patent
      • So people can do more using that
      • Synergy with University of Illinois and RPC's ICRT
      • Campus as a Living Lab
    • Morgan talked about the Safetraces project
      • Healthy environments for the users - during covid
      • SL connected with students
      • SL and Carl Tutt put together a funding application for SSC in collab with students
      • We don’t have a bucket of funding for these types of project
      • We would like to do another building on campus
        • Using the knowledge with Mark Ginsberg
      • The Building Envelope project for Transportation Building
        • This building is on the list of improvements
        • Blow-door tests
        • SSC project
    • MW asked what kind of opportunities there might be using Mark's technology?
      • Asked SL to start first
        • There is going to be a follow up
        • SL is going to make a recommendation to the Governor's Office
        • Seems that the Governor's office don’t have all the information - so they are asking for it now
        • It will directly benefit the private companies
        • The SB253 and SB 261 - The California Environmental reporting updates starting soon
          • Marsh McClennan is working on this
        • London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and one more stock exchange
        • Marsh McClennan Company to make contact with us - to help with this Environment reporting
          • Can be a good collaboration opportunity
          • Use of the Techlink technology
        • This company's work will not only help California's State Environmental reporting, but also extend to Illinois'
      • Demonstrate the software on university buildings?
        • SL - There is a version
          • Is there an intelligent HVAC in the building
          • MG - EPA is building a simulator at some point
            • A building inside the building
        • MG - The patent takes several years to go through
          • It was awarded at the same time as Covid
          • It was filed when Anthrax issue
        • MG - Trying on campus-
          • The instruction is simple for students
          • One - Solution exist
            • Contaminated person going to hospital don’t cause superspreader event all the time…
          • Recommendations-
            • Replace the air filter frequently
            • Keep the fan on
          • Single family house - taking HVAC from Auto to on (fan) -
            • $18 per month investment
            • Researched some time ago
          • You don’t want somebody downwind of someone
          • Buildings where this technology can be easily deployed?
            • Transportation Building?
            • Classrooms -
        • How would someone do the assessment?
          • Are you getting enough air changes per hour?
          • Are you leaving the builidng's air/fan on when the building is occupied?
            • Turn it off after 6 pm or when everybody leaves
        • The calculation of the consequence is - Advanced UG or Early Grad student could do it
    • SL - Licensing for the technology
      • Small business could use this technology - Phase 2?
      • Phase 1 -
        • Proof of business model?
    • MG -
      • By U of I standard - everything is siting on soft money
      • Nation wide hunt for the tech transfer for his product, and perhaps monetize them
      • MG can keep SL informed but that is how he wants to go
        • Nation wide search himself or hire a specialist
        • Big candidate
          • Big HVAC companies
          • Architecture/Architecture Design companies
            • Benteley Software- company
      • The prospect of
        • What is considered a starter and non-starter
    • There is not a direct benefit to MG?
      • We want to see if we can pay for MG
      • We don’t want to just do this for students to get some experience, we want to learn about the campus and campus buildings too…
    • MG - in terms of monetizing, it is not dependent on if U of I could get some money in the door
    • MW - Which type of buildings?
      • We have some students in Masters in Energy Planning
      • Leon Liebenberg
      • SSC funding - 1 year project
      • Energy efficiency and Air quality
      • We need to make sure that there is someone other than SP and MW advising the students
      • Campus side
        • Students/researchers - propose something they want to do
        • We want to know what would be helpful
    • MG - He has been cooperating with some professors there
      • He will work with some professors who are here currently
      • Right verbiage
      • What I want vs what would fit in student's education
      • Ty Newell - Horizon House
      •  
    • PF - IHSI might be a good connection also
      • Toni Jacobi or Craig Bradshaw
      • Craig Bradshaw is the head of ACRC
    • MW - What we are trying to offer
      • We can help with if we are allowed to use a building for this project
      • Introducing people in faculty and researchers
    • MW - Would you like to do a demonstration project on U of I campus?
      • Yes
      • He will talk to a few people and he will get back to us.
    • We want to start with a small building - Atmospheric Building
    • MG - we can work with some office spaces
      • Not classroom heavy spaces
      • Preferred - Office heavy spaces - some classrooms in the same building are fine
      • Noyes Lab - complicated
      • AITS building
      • Levis Center
      • Orchard Downs
      • North of Green street
      • Transportation Building
      • TBH or Mumford Hall
      • MEL
      • Maybe one of the PRI surveys
      • Formerly SEDAC building
    • Not comfortable with locations with a lot of people at the same time
    • Maybe get together with MG a couple of times a year to maybe tour these places
    • MG - will send a summary email as well

     

     

     

    • Circle back every two weeks?
      • SP will schedule the follow up meeting -
        • Next virtual and then following could be site visits
      • Maybe a site visit as well

     

    Created with OneNote.

  3. Weekly Digest: repair stand mats, bikes for sale

    Associated Project(s): 

    Things are picking up here and will likely only get busier as we are fully into August now. We’ve still got around 20 bikes available and a few more in the queue. B-a-Bs are similar numbers. We received some non-slip mats for under the repair stands, which I will install this week.


    The numbers:
    Sales: $471.65

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $160
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 2 for $10

    Jacob Benjamin

    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  4. Bike Month Returns

    September is Champaign County Bike Month:

    • Bike to Work Day is on Wednesday, September 10th, 7:00-10:00 am
    • Light the Night is on Tuesday, September 16th, 4:00-7:00 pm

    The C-U Bike Month Facebook page and cuBikeMonth.org will have announcements when BTWD registration opens later this month. The cuBikeMonth.org calendar already has several bike events listed for August through October.

  5. Overview of iCAP Teams recommendation process

    Associated Project(s): 

    iCAP Team recommendations are a vital part of our community engagement and public input procedures for campus sustainability.  Topical green teams with students, faculty, staff, and community members develop clear and specific recommendations for campus units to enact.  The recommendations are submitted to the iCAP Working Group chairs to route, according to the Formal Procedures.  The typical process includes four steps:

    1) Submitted: iCAP Team submits the recommendation to the iWG chairs for review by the iCAP Working Group (iWG).

    2) Transmitted: The iWG transmits their assessment of the recommendation to the applicable campus unit.

    3) Approved: The unit that received the recommendation replies in the affirmative.

    4) Successful: The recommendation has been implemented.

     

  6. Save the Date for Bike to Work Day 2025

    Associated Project(s): 

    This year, Bike to Work Day will be held on Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 from 7-10 am, with a rain date of Thursday, September 11th. Welcome station hosts will be available to provide snacks, drinks, handouts, and incentives to people who bike to work that day. Welcome stations will be located around the U of I campus, Savoy, Downtown Urbana, and Downtown Champaign. 

  7. plans for iCAP 2025 objective

    One focus area in FY26 will be to narrow, update, and execute a new CAM policy as an update to BF-11, "Recycling, Recycled Products Procurement, and Waste Reduction". The goal of the updated CAM policy will be to ensure that all paper purchased on campus (except for submitted and approved justifications) will need to be at a minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content.

  8. Inventory of Abandoned Bicycles Complete

    All bikes collected through the abandoned bicycles project have been inventoried as of today, 218 bicycles were collected. This inventory will be shared with appropriate campus units, marking the completion of Phase 3 of the project. If you believe your bike may have been impounded reach out to bike@illinois.edu with detailed information about your bike, including where you left it.

  9. Preliminary Research for Bike Ambassador & Bike Buddy Programs Complete

    On July 25th, the bike ambassador and bike buddy questionnaire that was sent out June 28th and June 30th closed. In total, 12 responses were collected where one response was collected via a virtual interview. By examining various university, community, and cyclist organizations’ approaches to bike buddy and bike ambassador programs, the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign can better understand the benefits, challenges, and steps to implement such programs. Attached is a draft report and draft presentation that summarize the results of the research.

  10. 2023 Refrigerant Data

    Associated Project(s): 

    Miriam Keep inquired with F&S Building Maintenance & Grounds to record the Refrigerant data for the University. The table below shows the data from 2023:

    2023 Purchased Refrigerant

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    R-404a

    432 lbs

     

     

     

    R-401a

    150 lbs

     

     

     

    R-134a

    540 lbs

     

     

     

    R-22

    1410 lbs

     

     

     

    R-410a

    825 lbs

     

     

     

    R-448a

    150 lbs

     

     

     

    R-502

    30 lbs

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Total

    3537 lbs

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2023 Recovered Refrigerant

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    R-11

    1 oz

     

     

     

    R-12

    85 lbs

     

     

     

    R-23

    1 lbs

     

     

     

    R-22

    489 lbs

     

     

     

    R-32

    130 lbs

     

     

     

    R-134a

    163 lbs

     

     

     

    R-404a

    85 lbs

     

     

     

    R-407C

    5 lbs

     

     

     

    R-407a

    3 lbs

     

     

     

    R-410a

    353 lbs

     

     

     

    R-502

    5 lbs

     

     

     

    R-507a

    7 oz

     

     

     

    R-508b

    6 lbs

     

     

     

    R-503

    7 oz

     

     

     

    R-401a

    32 lbs

     

     

     

    R-448a

    18lbs

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Total

    1375 lbs 15oz

     

     

     

     

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