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  1. Photo in UIUC News Bureau

    Rain, rain, come this way
    The campus’s first rain garden, the Red Oak Rain Garden, southwest of Allen Hall, was dedicated April 19. The rain garden collects storm water, directing it away from sidewalks into a garden planted with native plants that soak up the water and improve the quality of groundwater. Students designed and installed the sculptures and the garden, which is a Building a Lasting University Environment (BLUE) project funded by Facilities and Services in conjunction with the Environmental Council.

    Attached Files: 
  2. EAPC hired to develop construction documents

    The UI Board of Trustees approved hiring a North Dakota company, Engineers Architects PC, to develop plans for building three wind turbines on the UI's South Farms. The UI will pay the North Dakota firm, Engineers Architects PC, $87,500 to design the project and prepare construction documents, plus $24,000 in additional fees. Reimbursable expenses are not to exceed $46,000. 

  3. ICECF Grant Award

    Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) grant that was filed in September 2005, was approved. On December 1st, 2005, the university received the grant award notification with following main points:

    • Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation awards a grant of up to $2,000,000 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the Installation of 3 Wind Turbines (4.5MW) on Campus South Farms.
    • Grant is to be used during the period of November 1, 2005 through August 31, 2007.

     

    Attached Files: 
  4. Wind study results and site selection

    Navigant Consulting Inc completed the feasibility study for the wind energy project.

    Main points from the Navigant Consulting Inc's wind study:

    • The study found no fatal flaws that would exclude the entire South Farms area from the installation of one or more wind turbine-generators.
    • Site D was identified as the best-fit location, located along Philo Road south of Curtis Road and north of Church Road.
    • Power costs are estimated to be in the range of 3.5 cents/kWh to 6.2 cents/kWh (third party contributions can significantly lower these values).
  5. University proposal for turbine purchase

    The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) posted this project summary online in September 2005. University Proposal to Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) for Turbine Purchase

    • Proposes to install three, 1.5 MW wind turbines on the campus South Farms.
    • Estimated total project capital cost will be $5,700,000.
    • UIUC requests $2,000,000 in aid from the ICECF Renewable Grant Program to help establish this wind turbine project.
    • The request is ~1/4 of the total cost ($1.4M), plus a two-to-one (2:1) match on the student fees ($600K).
    • To date, the student initiated “clean energy fee” has raised and committed $300,000 for this project.
    • Also, the university is investigating the possibility of an additional $250,000 in support directed by the Illinois Department of Community and Economic Opportunity through Vestas Wind Systems A/s.
    • The UIUC is prepared to fund the remaining $3,000,000+ in capital costs.
    • UIUC facilities will use 100% of the electricity generated by the wind turbines; the energy will feed directly into the University’s electric distribution system.
    • The wind turbines will displace electricity generated by natural gas turbines at the UIUC Abbot Power Plant and purchased electricity, depending on the time of day and year.
    • The three turbines will produce ~10,500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity (=2.7% of the total campus energy consumption).
    • Location: South Farms area- Curtis/Windsor Rd on the north and Old Church Rd on the south and by Philo Rd on the east and First St. on the west.
    • Wind turbines renewable energy production will annually eliminate the release of 6,700 tons of carbon dioxide, 32 tons of sulfur oxides and 15 tons of nitrogen oxides.
    • The turbines generation capacity will be enough for the UIUC to voluntarily meet the State of Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio Standard through December 31, 2007.
    • College of Engineering (Dean Ilesanmi Adesida) wrote a letter to ICECF supporting the project.
    • Robert Easter wrote a letter to ICECF saying that ACES “is delighted to support the proposal to install wind turbines”.
  6. Project Approval

    The wind farm project at the South Farms was approved by Steve Rugg in the first week of September. He approved the request for $5.7 million to install three wind turbines at the proposed site.

    Breakdown of $5.7 million: $300,000 would come from the student fees, $2,000,000 grant from ICECF (proposed), and the rest would be covered by the University.

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