Utilizing green roof technology helped NCEL to achieve LEED® Silver, the standard in effect when the project was initiated.   The materials used include various types of grasses, plants, and other vegetation. When properly built and maintained, green roofs can last as long as 75 years as opposed to a conventional roof life of 15 years.  Green roofs lower roof surface temperature, reducing the “urban heat island” effect and creating a cooler microclimate around the building.

Check back later for details on this completed project.

The goal of the project was to construct a green roof on the Link Gallery, which is located between the school of Art and Design and the Krannert Art Museum. The project will be implemented mainly by students and faculty of the School of Art and Design. On top of reducing energy costs, it will also provide rainwater for the surrounding gardens. Facilities and Services and the Student Sustainability Committee funded the project.

The Lincoln Hall Renovation was originally awarded the LEED Gold Certification on July 9, 2010. As of November 2013 the project has achieved LEED Platinum Certification having achieved 52 of the 69 possible points on the LEED Scorecard and becoming the second LEED Platinum Building on the U of I campus. The construction was especially strong in the Energy & Atmostphere, having achieved 14 of out 17  possible points in that area with ten of those for optimizing energy performance. 

The M.T. Geoffrey Yeh Student Center in Newmark Civil Engineering was awarded LEED Silver ceritfication on August 7, 2012. The Yeh Center achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies, such as a green roof and the generous use of natural light. Chicago-area design firm Teng & Associates Inc. was involved with the project for over a decade and oversaw the design process from start to finish. 

The Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) achieved LEED Silver certification on August 8th, 2012. IFSI has long been a resource for training fire fighting personnel in Illinois and the United States. IFSI is currently operating at near capacity and often must limit/restrict course opportunities due to lack of classroom space. Henneman Engineering was responsible for complete mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has dramatically reduced its carbon dioxide emissions in the past several years, is selling an estimated 150,000 metric tons of certified carbon credits to Chevrolet, which is retiring them on behalf of the environment.

The Business Instructional Facility was awarded the LEED Platinum Certification on December 2, 2009, having achieved 52 of the 69 possible points on the LEED Scorecard. The construction was especially strong in the Indoor Environmental Quality, receiving 13 of the 15 possible points in that area. This building is the first business facility at a public university anywhere in the world to earn platinum certification through LEED.  Cesar Pelli,  a U. of I.

“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.

Executive Summary