The Eco-Reps program is currently located in Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls, which also houses the Sustainability LLC, and Allen Hall. Eco-Reps is made up of nine students that live in these halls who work three to five hours per week to encourage sustainable behaviors in the residence halls. The program is led by program coordinator Eric Holthaus, a grad student in Urban Planning. Laura Haber, program director at Allen Hall, provides assistance with Residential Life and the Student Sustainability Committee provides financing, guidance, and an intern.

Today's Deferred Maintenance Program is designed to systematically address many maintenance needs, including improved electrical service, ventilation, building envelopes, interior finishes, and other deferred maintenance needs.

Plans are progressing to add a new energy source at Abbott Power Plant – biomass fuel made from plants – following the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 2012 decision to grant a test-fire permit.

The idea involves using a biomass material, made from wood or miscanthus grass for example, which then would be added to the coal. The mixture could contain anywhere from 10-20 percent biomass fuel, though the tests will determine the proper mixture and whether the process presents any dangers during the combustion process.

The ongoing initiative to upgrade building energy system controls to Direct Digital Controls (DDC) allows real time energy metering, controlled set-backs, and system scheduling.  This enhances the capability of the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) to shift electrical demand which is currently capable of realizing a 5 MW shift.  An Energy Management Control Center (EMC2) is planned to leverage the enhanced controls to further conserve energy and provide demand response.  Load forecasting and economic asset dispatch will be incorporated with market information to optimize results.  A Utility Prod

The Illini Energy Dashboard provides clearly visible understandable information data and information to students and staff of selected University buildings describing energy consumption rate (electrical, chilled water and steam) so that users can make educated choices about the way they can affect energy consumption and conservation. The biggest challenge in successfully creating a campus-wide goal of energy reduction is being able to evoke a behavioral change resulting in energy consevation and sustainability efforts.

“From fiscal years 2002 to 2006 the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois realized an increase in utility costs of approximately 150%. The adverse financial impact was exacerbated by new or deepening cost pressures in nearly every area of campus operation. Spiraling energy costs in that period were a result of world-wide demand for energy; increasingly volatile fuel costs; and to a lesser extent, growth in the campus plant. There are no signs those trends will abate.

The goal of the ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering Building project is to achieve Platinum LEED standards and be net zero for outside energy consumption.  To meet that goal, engineers have proposed the use of solar panels atop the ECE building to offset the building’s energy consumption. Complexities of building design have resulted in the building being unable to support a sufficient number of solar arrays to generate the energy required to offset the building’s energy consumption.

The campus uses thousands of pipes to distribute steam, hot water, and condensate to campus buildings.  Many of these pipes lack proper insulation.  The Maintenance Division has funded two full time insulators to continuously insulate pipes of all types throughout campus.

To communicate within departments and colleges, we asked Energy Liaisons established by F&S to promote energy conservation to host presentations in their buildings which will include a display, information, and materials specific to your buildings. The first of these presentations were conducted during Sustainability Week, October 2011. The goal is to use the Energy Liaisons and various campus sustainability committees as grassroots contacts for initiatives such as energy conservation.

Retrocommissioning (RCx) is an analysis of a building's Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems as well as their maintenance program. The purpose of this group is to restore the most favorable operating conditions while optimizing energy conservation, sustainability, and client comfort satisfaction. This group is important on our campus because deferred maintenance is becoming very detrimental to campus buildings.

There are nearly one million fluorescent and incandescent lighting fixtures on campus, and the majority are fluorescent fixtures in buildings.  In 2008, the majority of these fixtures were the T12 style, which are no longer produced.  The new T8 fixture is thiner and much more energy efficient.  To replace all the T12s with T8s will take many years and millions of dollars.  However, the energy savings are great, with each replacement bulb dropping the energy demand from 40 Watts to 28 Watts.  This program has been ongoing for a number of years, and has had funding support from a varie

The University of Illinois has begun to renovate its buildings with sustainability in mind. Energy efficient light bulbs, better insulation and window materials, and more sustainable heating and cooling systems are just a few of the efforts being made for long-term energy savings in campus buildings.

The Utilities Production and Distribution Master Plan addresses Illinois’ energy future. The plan, approved by the Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee in September 2015, is a recognized report associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign master planning process.

The Student Sustainability Committee has organized and funded a pilot project in which students conduct energy assessments of campus buildings for the purposes of weatherization. Teams from student organizations conduct the assessments, and receive payment for their work. This semester, five organizations are participating. F&S has contributed support and funds to the actual weatherization of the building. Small campus buildings, including the cultural houses, selected on the basis of energy usage, are assessed.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has completed and approved the 2014 Campus Bike Plan, a master plan to direct our efforts for future bicycle infrastructure improvements and program development. The 2014 Campus Bike Plan outlines the various ways in which the University should improve for bicycles in the coming years.

Departmental Bike Sharing is a concept where University Departments would purchase a small number of bicycles to be made available to staff, faculty and graduate students for on-campus use during working hours.

Want to discuss options or interest in departmental bike share? Email bike@illinois.edu to get information and talk to a staff member that can give you more information.

A low-emission vehicle is one that emits relatively low levels of motor vehicle emissions. Examples include electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and biofuel vehicles. The University is pursuing several efforts to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles on campus, both with the University's fleet of service vehicles, and in the personal vehicles of students, employees, and visitors. 

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 4, objective 1, is "Reduce air travel emissions from a new FY14 baseline by 25% by FY20, 50% by FY25, and 100% by FY30 ." Air travel is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.  In the FY08 baseline carbon emission calculation for campus, 7 percent of the emissions were due to directly-financed air travel.  While some reduction in the air travel can be achieved through increased teleconferencing, the remainder will need to be offset.  There are some airp

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facilities Standards shall be applied for all remodeling and new construction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  These Standards are intended to achieve the value consistent with an institute of higher education.  Where these Standards exceed minimum Code and/or Capital Development Board (CDB) requirements, the Standards shall apply.  Where the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facilities Standards and CDB

The University has adopted LEED Silver certification as a part of the Facility Standards on new construction.  Facilitites & Services tracks LEED status for new buildings and major recontruction.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 2, objective 1 is "Maintain or reduce the campus gross square footage relative to the FY10 baseline." The Net Zero Space Growth Policy was enacted to halt the growth in gross square footage of campus buildings; to support the goal of reducing the campus footprint over time through more efficient space utilization; to fulfill the commitment under the 

The campus will implement a freeze on new buildings and building additions once current planned projects are completed. Any new space must take an existing space of equal or greater size (or of equal or greater energy usage) out of commission. Furthermore, any building retrofit will be required to “do no harm”; that is, it should not increase the energy consumption of a building—if necessary by packaging together additional energy conservation and renewables as part of a project. New building projects will be net-zero or replace an existing building.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 7, objective 2 is "Design and maintain campus landscapes in a more sustainable manner; expand the specification of sustainable plantings in campus landscaping standards, and develop and implement a tree care plan by FY16 and an integrated pest management program by FY17."

The campus landscapes are continuously improved and maintained in a more sustainable manner with guidance from the Campus Landscape Architect at F&S.

One of the water strategies outlined in the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan was to include “true cost of water” charges with the energy billing program. The idea behind this strategy was to add an economic benefit in reducing the amount of water used by the University.

The University’s decision about whether or not they will implement this strategy is still being discussed.

Construction of tile-drainage wetlands is a strategy the University would use to reduce carbon emissions. GHG emissions aren’t the only environmental contaminants on the South Farms. Extensive tile drainage on 3,609 acres of farmland delivers more than 100 metric tons of nitrate-N to the Embarras River and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico, where it contributes to gulf hypoxia.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 5, objective 5, is "Through an open solicitation process, implement at least four pilot projects to showcase the potential of water and/or stormwater reuse by FY20, with the objective of implementing a broader program by FY25." The first pilot project was initiated during the engineering design of the upcoming Seibel Center for Design.  The AE for the project worked with campus code compliance staff to specify the water capture and reuse system and to draft a requ

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 9, objective 2 is, "By the end of FY16, increase the size of the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to a level commensurate with our aspirational peers, expand the reach of the Fund, and increase the use of Energy Performance Contracting (EPC)." We suggest that the RLF be increased to at least $10 million; this would put us in the company of aspirat

One of the long-term energy commitments set forth in the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan was to impose charges for the purchase of renewable energy for facilities that use massive amounts of energy. The National Petascale Computing Facility is the only current facility that falls into this catagory. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds the energy use of the facility. The University plans to impost charges on the NSF for the cost of renewable energy in the next contract negotiations. 

One of the strategies discussed in the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan, within the Agriculture theme, was to incorporate carbon costs into food products sold on campus. Incorporating carbon costs into food prices would incentivize the use of local or more sustainable products. This would help the University reach its target of reducing directly related agricultural emissions by 50 percent by 2020.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a not-for-profit public university, and it is eligible for a number of sustainability related grants.  Through the diligence of professional staff and comprehensive records management, this campus regularly seeks and receives grant awards in support of our programs.  We are very grateful to all the grant programs that have awarded funding, and we look forward to continued partnership over the next decades.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 6, objective 1, is "By FY17, environmental standards will be applied to purchases of office paper, cleaning products, computers, other electronics, and freight/package delivery services. At least 50% of purchases in these categories will meet campus standards by FY20, and 75% by FY25."

By commiting to exceed the state local food procurement standards and, therefore, making more that 30 percent of food purchases from local (within 100 miles) by 2015, the University will support local farmers as well as saving energy associated with food transport.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 6, objective 2, is "Reduce municipal solid waste (MSW) going to landfills. This involves reducing nondurable goods purchases, effectively reusing materials, and recycling. In the latter category, campus will increase the diversion rate of MSW to 45% by FY20, 60% by FY25, and 80% by FY35, while also increasing the total diversion rate to 90% by FY20 and 95% by FY25.

One measure that the University plans to take is to expand reuse of durable goods. Use could be expanded if the University were able to resell used goods to the public. Current state law does not allow the University to resell used goods to the public. Efforts to reverse this law and improvement of internal reuse programs should be implemented.

One of the points discussed in the Purchasing/ Waste/ Recycling goal of the 2010 iCAP was to expand the reuse of durable goods. Several strategies were discussed in relation to this point, including reversing the state law that disallows the University to resell used goods to the public and improve the internal reuse programs.

Reporting on progress, in relation to the University’s climate goals as planned in the iCAP Portal, must be closely monitored and highly publicized. Issuing press releases is one way in which iCAP projects are relayed to the students, staff, the general public, and other higher education institutions.

Press releases are often sent to the local media, but may be published in a variety of publications.

Illinois is proud to offer a wide variety of co-curricular programs for students to get involved in the sustainability field.  There are numerous sustainability-related student organizations and hundreds of opportunities to get engaged both on and off campus.  To share historical information and ideas toward meeting our sustainability goals, details about projects, events, and programs are being collected on the iCAP Portal.