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Abbott Power Plant
1117 South Oak Street
61820
Champaign
, IL
United States
Illinois
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Projects at this location
| Project | Description |
|---|---|
| Carbon Capture |
The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center a division of the Prairie Research Institute is part of a pilot project on the University of Illinois campus that will explore methods to capture carbon dioxide from the gas- and coal-fired Abbott Power Plant. The ultimate goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and developing industrial markets that would reuse the recovered CO2. The Department of Energy is funding the $1.3 million engineering and planning phase, representing the DOE’s first sponsorship of a large-scale research and development project for the capture of CO2 emissions. |
| Provide Working Bikes for University Employees |
This project involves encouraging more bicycle uses for employees. Packages can be sent out and delivered through the use of a bicycle. Bicycles can also be used for hauling objects to specific locations with the help of special equipment built by the Campus Bike Center. Student and Staff employees will be involved in the process.
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| Power Plant Carbon Sequestration via Algae Biodiesel Production |
This project constructed an Algae Biodiesel Production Facility at Abbott Power Plant. The facility's purpose is to sequester some of the flue gases produced at the power plant while providing a renewable, carbon-neutral fuel source for transportation. The project involves several student organizations and has research potential. The Student Sustainability Committee provided the project with $13,000 worth of funding in 2008. |
| ICECF 2009 Lighting Retrofit [ARCHIVED] |
The ICECF 2009 Lighting Retrofit was the second round of the T-12 to T-8 Lighting Retrofit Project. A total of 33,192 T-12 fixtures were replaced with thinner, more energy effiecient T-8 fixtures. This will incur a total Annual KWh Savings of 5,335,909 hours. Thirty university buildings were involved in this round of the project. The total Simple Payback is estimated to be 1.17. |
| Stop Burning Coal at Abbott Power Plant |
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is commited to moving beyond coal. Reducing our carbon footprint has been the overarching goal since we signed the American Colleges and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Completing the Climate Action Plan (iCAP) for campus was a major step forward. |
| Reduce Cooling Tower and Chiller Plant Water Use |
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 5, objective 2 is "Improve the water efficiency of cooling towers by limiting the amount discharged to sewer to less than 20% of water intake for chiller plant towers, and less than 33% for stand-alone building towers, by FY20." The results of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center’s True Cost of Water Study yielded five action items and two pilot studie |
| Biomass co-firing pilot at Abbott Power Plant [ARCHIVED] |
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. |
| Rooftop Solar Potential |
One potential method for acheiving the 2015 iCAP goal for on-campus solar is to retrofit existing campus buildings with rooftop solar. The amount of sun shine on each roof, the viability of the building itself, and the funding mechanisms all need to be reviewed and resolved for this idea to be implemented. The viability for each building includes approval from the Architectural Review Committee, agreement of the building occupant facility leaders, and structural and electrical viability for the building. As of 2016, the financial payback for solar photovoltaics is not strong enough to ea |
| Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution |
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. |
Projects
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Biomass co-firing pilot at Abbott Power Plant [ARCHIVED] -
Carbon Capture
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ICECF 2009 Lighting Retrofit [ARCHIVED]
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Power Plant Carbon Sequestration via Algae Biodiesel Production
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Provide Working Bikes for University Employees -
Reduce Cooling Tower and Chiller Plant Water Use -
Rooftop Solar Potential
-
Stop Burning Coal at Abbott Power Plant
-
Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution
Project Updates
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5/1/2025In February, Paul Foote investigated the potential for rooftop solar on Krannert Art Museum. Individuals from F&S and the museum expressed interest in exploring this project.Attached is the findings for the potential solar output of the rooftop...
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3/5/2025The Energy Team had their March meeting on Thursday, March 6th, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM. We welcomed a new member and had a hybrid meeting. The focus was on the Building Occupancy Engagement Pilot Program. We discussed the way forward and...