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Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)

1 Hazelwood Dr
61820 Champaign , IL
United States
Illinois

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Projects at this location

Project Description
Diversion of Non-Recyclable Plastic using Pyrolysis Process to Produce Fuels for Campus

According to a 2012 EPA report, 251 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in the US and the University generates about twelve tons of trash per day. After MSW recovery through recycling and composting, plastic was the 2nd largest component (18%) behind food waste (21%) of the 164 million tons discarded in 2012. This means that huge quantities of plastics end up in landfills (29 million tons). Translating these numbers to UIUC campus MSW would mean that we are sending 1.39 tons of plastic in trash to landfill daily.

Indoor Bin Update

This project will improve the recycling process in buildings around campus by encouraging sustainable actions and improving the layout of waste and recycling bins within these buildings. Facilities & Services collaborated with ISTC to make an “Indoor Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Assessment”. This assessment determined that the type and layout of collection containers in buildings across campus should be standardized. An update would enable them to be co-located and allow for greater infrastructure consistency.

Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Science (IDEAS)

The IDEAS program - short for Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Science - provides a continuing opportunity for the rapid support of early-stage applied research to explore pioneering new concepts with the potential for transformational and disruptive changes in energy technology.

Advanced Grid and Research Development

This program accelerates discovery and innovation in electric transmission and distribution technologies and create "next generation" devices, software, tools, and techniques to help modernize the electric grid. 

Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER)

This program applyies the Department of Energy's technical expertise to help ensure the security, resiliency and survivability of key energy assets and critical energy infrastructure.

Building Technologies Office

The Building Technologies office leads a network of research and industry partners to continually develop innovative, cost-effective energy saving solutions in building design. Some of the relevant programs under the Building Technologies office include 

  1. Emerging Technologies
  2. Residential Building
Geothermal Technologies Office

This office supports groups that research, develop, and validate innovative and cost-competitive technologies and tools to locate, access, and develop geothermal resources in the United States.

Structural and Architectural Engineering and Materials (SAEM)

SAEM aims to enable sustainable buildings and other structures that can be continuously occupied and/or operated during the structure’s useful life. The SAEM program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering and materials that promotes a holistic approach to analysis and design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, and repair of structures.

Structural and Architectural Engineering and Materials (SAEM)

SAEM aims to enable sustainable buildings and other structures that can be continuously occupied and/or operated during the structure’s useful life. The SAEM program supports fundamental research for advancing knowledge and innovation in structural and architectural engineering and materials that promotes a holistic approach to analysis and design, construction, operation, maintenance, retrofit, and repair of structures.

Energy for Sustainability

The program supports fundamental engineering research that will enable innovative processes for the sustainable production of electricity and fuels, and for energy storage. These processes must be environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and use renewable resources.

FY12 RCx

IN FY12 Retrocommissioning completed eight more buildings.

Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

Dart Container at 1505 E. Main St., Urbana, accepts expanded polystyrene (EPS), more commonly known by its brand name Styrofoam, for recycling. Departments are encouraged to take EPS there to recycle this bulky material. By doing so, we can reduce the volume of waste sent from campus to landfills and avoid the harmful environmental impacts of that practice. There is no charge to drop off EPS at Dart for recycling.

There is currently no central funding source to pay for transportion of EPS to Dart, so departments need to arrange transport independently.

Illinois Green Office Challenge

The Illinois Green Office Challenge is an impact-driven program that encourages friendly competition among offices/office buildings to adopt sustainable practices. By participating in the Challenge, individual offices or entire buildings earn points for their companies while helping make Illinois more competitive, livable, and sustainable.

ISTC Sustainability Seminars

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) presents an annual year-long series of seminars, usually one or two per month, presented by researchers, policy makers, and corporate executives on various topics related to Sustainability, Energy, and the Environment. This series is an opportunity to share scientific research with peers in a relaxed, informal environment. Please feel free to bring a lunch. Seminars usually last about an hour and questions are welcome.

Sustainable Electronics Campus Consortium

The Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) and its host agency, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), are coordinating meetings of individuals interested in fostering research, education, and policy related to sustainable electronics on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The foundational meeting was held at ISTC headquarters in Champaign, IL on October 2, 2013. Meetings are arranged around the broad topics of research, education, and operations; some meetings may represent an overlap of one or more of these themes.

Glove Recycling

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign participates in Kimberly-Clark’s RightCycle Program.

LED Projects 2012

Several other LED replacement projects also took place in 2012. In the Krannert Art Museum Gallery (LINK Gallery) renovation, 62 LED fixtures were installed. Track lighting in the Henry Administration was replaced with LEDs. LEDs were also installed in the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center conference room.

ISTC Geothermal Loop

The aim of this project is to investigate the possibility of installing an open-loop geothermal system at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). Open-loop geothermal systems takes ground water pumped through a large diameter pipe and introduces or extracts heat depending on the season. Installing such a system would give the building an opportunity to reduce total building energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 50 percent.

ISTC Lighting Retrofits

The Waste Management Research Center (WMRC), now known as the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), received a grant from the Student Sustainability Committee to replace the lights in offices and laboratories with more energy efficient fixtures. The grant was also used to install occupancy sensors in the facility.

The SSC gave $23,450 to the ISTC to replace 212 fluorescent fixtures. Costs of the project ended up only totaling $22,642.70, and the ISTC returned $807.20 to the SSC. Annual savings from the replacement of these fixtures should amount to about $4,820.