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Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

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  1. Weekly Update -- Abandoned Bikes Retrieval & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    All,

    Last week was the conclusion of the bike retrieval period for abandoned bikes.  We got three claims in the 11th hour, which was good. I’ll begin organizing the leftovers this week, with help from my staff. We are critically low on some used parts, so this is fortuitous timing.

    Elsewhere, I have two new staffers starting this week—just in time for October!

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 94
    Sales: $1,319.25
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $100
    Memberships: 24 for $720
    Tires/tubes: 28 for $153

    Thanks!

  2. Weekly Update -- Light the Night & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Last Wednesday was Bike To Work Day! It was a success. Had good weather and good turn outs at the stations I visited.

    Light The Night is tomorrow evening. Should be good weather—if warm—for that, too!

     

    We are busy but it’s not mayhem anymore—that’s a plus!

     

    We are low on used tires, as is common this time of year. I’ll roll over to the Urbana shop to see if they have any to spare.

    The numbers:

    Sales: $1,735.35
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50

    Memberships: 38 for $1140
    Tires/tubes: 31 for $286

  3. September 2025 Tree Committee meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education
    Red Oak Rain Garden
    Campus Tree Inventory

    The Tree Campus Advisory Committee met to review the overall program and committee membership. 

    • The new Campus Landscape Architect, Bridgette Moen, joined the committee. 
    • Team members discussed potential additions to the committee, including students, faculty, and staff.
    • Justin Vozzo shared a status update on the tree grant.
      • Picking up several trees - 90 planted total this year
      • Ryan is heading up the F&S side, Stirling is helping to manage the contracts
      • Justin is hosting some tree plantings across the state, Urbana and in Macomb
      • Two events each spring and fall for next tw o years
    • The South Arboretum Woods rehab has several plants being added, and there are student employees funded by the SSC.
    • The Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) is doing another plant installation this fall, and works with volunteers. They also installed interpretive signage.
    • The Urban Wood Reuse program is going well.  The new mill is here, and they are working to hire more students.
    • The Committee began reviewing the goals in the 2024 Tree Care Plan.
      • The Tree Keeper Inventory is complete for F&S, and it is still in progress for the Arboretum. 
        • There is also the ARC GIS inventory - which pulls from Tree Keeper
        • Ongoing to keep it up to date
        • Tree surgeons are responsible for logging them into the system
        • Assistants are responsible for logging the stump removals - the sub-foreperson goes in to remove it and change it to open or vacant site
        • When it is removed it is no longer counted in the inventory
        • When a new tree is planted - working with the vacant sites and updating those, planning and potential planting spots and adding the new tree in there
        • We need to identify opportunities to update the existing inventory
          • Longer-term - should do an update - including the diameters of the trees - should update that, changes over time
          • Might need to be a tree expert - how to appropriately update it regularly - tree health - arborist or someone who knows a lot about trees
          • Potentially it could be through dendrology - students could potentially do DBH measurements and baseline health questions
          • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Justin is working on developing an arboriculture class, could do some tree inventory as part to that class 
        • ​​​​​​​Set a goal in 2025 Tree Care Plan to develop a comprehensive plan for handling tree inventory updates: get a plan together for how to do a regular update and comprehensive update.

  4. Weekly Update -- Build-a-Bike, Staffing Updates, and Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Busy as all get out. Sold all but one small bike for sale and moving Build-a-Bikes as fast as we can. Hope to have a few more prepped this week as demand for those is always high once we sell out of the refurbs.

    More staff will be available this week, which should help with the craziness.

     

    Returning abandoned bikes and getting some business out of that, which is welcomed. Plenty of folks that are retrieving their bikes are unaware of our space/offerings.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 234
    Sales: $1882.45

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $250

    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $100
    Memberships: 23 for $690
    Tires/tubes: 48 for $351

  5. EV Charging Stations Updates

    Associated Project(s): 
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Increase use of EVs and other Alternative Service Vehicles

    Email from Phillip Krein:

     

    I wanted to update you on our EV charge infrastructure project. Tim Abrahamson supported us today from about 12:30pm to 2pm to gather circuit information in parking structures C10, C7, and B4. I owe Mike Brown an updated design report for our next-generation boxes, and of course we will not mount any new units until all is approved and Dave can inspect the setups. In the meantime, we learned the following:

     

    In lot C10, four of our boxes can be supported without changes. The most likely plans place one each at the east and west columns on Level 2 and one each on those columns on Level 3.

     

    In lot C7, it appears that five boxes can be supported.

     

    In lot B4, we have chosen about all that are available (six units are in place).

     

    For Krannert, there is one signed space where a unit can be mounted.

     

    In F29 (the fire station and parking), it appears that four units can be supported, including three existing signed spaces.

     

    In lot E15, there are NO receptacles that do not interfere with a walking path or equipment access path, so no units can be mounted there.

     

    The total, including those in place, is 20 units. We are preparing 30 new units. I do have some plans for a few of them.

    Philip Krein

     

    We did observe that nearly all of these structures have potential for additional receptacle circuits, but this would require a project with wire pulls and infrastructure changes. Since we are talking about 120 V receptacles, such a project is routine, but obviously not trivial to set up and fund.

  6. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Not as busy as expecting but that gave us some time to fix up more bikes. We’re currently at capacity in the front lobby area and rearranged things in the back to accommodate some of the For Sale bikes back there.

    Got a count of the incoming collection of abandoned bikes, so once those are released to us, we’ll have a good plan for how to handle the influx.

    Interviewing for a couple positions and waiting to hear back from a few returning staff this week. And, of course, turning out bikes for the rush.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11
    Sales: $179.50
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tires/tubes: 8 for $44

  7. List of Buildings Modeled for Energy Use

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Models for Campus Facilities

    Professor Yun Yi provided the list of buildings that the class has modeled for energy use in the past:

    Here’s the list of campus buildings we’ve modeled for energy use. I’ve shared it with F&S. Over the past two years, we focused more on buildings with detailed HVAC systems, which allowed us to calibrate the models with actual usage data—specifically buildings 1 through 4.

     

    1. BEVIER HALL
    2. ALLEN HALL
    3. Newmark
    4. CIF
    5. Children’s Research Center
    6. Speech and Hearing Building
    7. Personal Services Building
    8. Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center
    9. Temple Hoyne Buell Hall
    10. Labor & Employment Relations (LER)Harker Hall
    11. Student Services Building
    12. Irwin Center for Doctoral Study
    13. Wassaja Hall
    14. Ceramics Building
    15. Architecture Annex
    16. Uni High

     

    Best

    Yun

  10. Meeting with Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francisco, and Sterling Laylock

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control

    Morgan White, Sarthak Prasad, and Quinn Connolly met with Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francsico, and Sterling Laylock to discuss HVAC projects. Below are notes from the meeting:

    Techlink: Contaminant Flow Calculator and Intelligent HVAC

    • Attended by - Sarthak Prasad, Morgan White, Sterling Laylock, Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francisco, and Quinn Connolly
    • Introductions
      • Mark talked about the research
        • Partial differential equation
        • Solve issues using the software
    • Sterling is going to facilitate the meeting
      • Intelligent HVAC systems patent from Mark Ginsberg
      • License the patent
      • So people can do more using that
      • Synergy with University of Illinois and RPC's ICRT
      • Campus as a Living Lab
    • Morgan talked about the Safetraces project
      • Healthy environments for the users - during covid
      • SL connected with students
      • SL and Carl Tutt put together a funding application for SSC in collab with students
      • We don’t have a bucket of funding for these types of project
      • We would like to do another building on campus
        • Using the knowledge with Mark Ginsberg
      • The Building Envelope project for Transportation Building
        • This building is on the list of improvements
        • Blow-door tests
        • SSC project
    • MW asked what kind of opportunities there might be using Mark's technology?
      • Asked SL to start first
        • There is going to be a follow up
        • SL is going to make a recommendation to the Governor's Office
        • Seems that the Governor's office don’t have all the information - so they are asking for it now
        • It will directly benefit the private companies
        • The SB253 and SB 261 - The California Environmental reporting updates starting soon
          • Marsh McClennan is working on this
        • London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and one more stock exchange
        • Marsh McClennan Company to make contact with us - to help with this Environment reporting
          • Can be a good collaboration opportunity
          • Use of the Techlink technology
        • This company's work will not only help California's State Environmental reporting, but also extend to Illinois'
      • Demonstrate the software on university buildings?
        • SL - There is a version
          • Is there an intelligent HVAC in the building
          • MG - EPA is building a simulator at some point
            • A building inside the building
        • MG - The patent takes several years to go through
          • It was awarded at the same time as Covid
          • It was filed when Anthrax issue
        • MG - Trying on campus-
          • The instruction is simple for students
          • One - Solution exist
            • Contaminated person going to hospital don’t cause superspreader event all the time…
          • Recommendations-
            • Replace the air filter frequently
            • Keep the fan on
          • Single family house - taking HVAC from Auto to on (fan) -
            • $18 per month investment
            • Researched some time ago
          • You don’t want somebody downwind of someone
          • Buildings where this technology can be easily deployed?
            • Transportation Building?
            • Classrooms -
        • How would someone do the assessment?
          • Are you getting enough air changes per hour?
          • Are you leaving the builidng's air/fan on when the building is occupied?
            • Turn it off after 6 pm or when everybody leaves
        • The calculation of the consequence is - Advanced UG or Early Grad student could do it
    • SL - Licensing for the technology
      • Small business could use this technology - Phase 2?
      • Phase 1 -
        • Proof of business model?
    • MG -
      • By U of I standard - everything is siting on soft money
      • Nation wide hunt for the tech transfer for his product, and perhaps monetize them
      • MG can keep SL informed but that is how he wants to go
        • Nation wide search himself or hire a specialist
        • Big candidate
          • Big HVAC companies
          • Architecture/Architecture Design companies
            • Benteley Software- company
      • The prospect of
        • What is considered a starter and non-starter
    • There is not a direct benefit to MG?
      • We want to see if we can pay for MG
      • We don’t want to just do this for students to get some experience, we want to learn about the campus and campus buildings too…
    • MG - in terms of monetizing, it is not dependent on if U of I could get some money in the door
    • MW - Which type of buildings?
      • We have some students in Masters in Energy Planning
      • Leon Liebenberg
      • SSC funding - 1 year project
      • Energy efficiency and Air quality
      • We need to make sure that there is someone other than SP and MW advising the students
      • Campus side
        • Students/researchers - propose something they want to do
        • We want to know what would be helpful
    • MG - He has been cooperating with some professors there
      • He will work with some professors who are here currently
      • Right verbiage
      • What I want vs what would fit in student's education
      • Ty Newell - Horizon House
      •  
    • PF - IHSI might be a good connection also
      • Toni Jacobi or Craig Bradshaw
      • Craig Bradshaw is the head of ACRC
    • MW - What we are trying to offer
      • We can help with if we are allowed to use a building for this project
      • Introducing people in faculty and researchers
    • MW - Would you like to do a demonstration project on U of I campus?
      • Yes
      • He will talk to a few people and he will get back to us.
    • We want to start with a small building - Atmospheric Building
    • MG - we can work with some office spaces
      • Not classroom heavy spaces
      • Preferred - Office heavy spaces - some classrooms in the same building are fine
      • Noyes Lab - complicated
      • AITS building
      • Levis Center
      • Orchard Downs
      • North of Green street
      • Transportation Building
      • TBH or Mumford Hall
      • MEL
      • Maybe one of the PRI surveys
      • Formerly SEDAC building
    • Not comfortable with locations with a lot of people at the same time
    • Maybe get together with MG a couple of times a year to maybe tour these places
    • MG - will send a summary email as well

     

     

     

    • Circle back every two weeks?
      • SP will schedule the follow up meeting -
        • Next virtual and then following could be site visits
      • Maybe a site visit as well

     

    Created with OneNote.

  11. Weekly Digest: repair stand mats, bikes for sale

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Things are picking up here and will likely only get busier as we are fully into August now. We’ve still got around 20 bikes available and a few more in the queue. B-a-Bs are similar numbers. We received some non-slip mats for under the repair stands, which I will install this week.


    The numbers:
    Sales: $471.65

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $160
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 2 for $10

    Jacob Benjamin

    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  12. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All,
    We’ve been working through some old stock of used parts that are too rusty/damaged to be worth keeping and scrapping them—mostly wheels and a few frames. Getting our stock of sale bikes up into the 20s, which is good but won’t be close to meeting demand. We have almost the same number of bikes available for our Build-a-Bike program, so hopefully folks will take advantage of that when our refurbished bikes sell out.

    Last Friday morning F&S workers were finishing up repairing the outdoor bike pump—news I’m happy to report. On Friday, we also sold the kid’s bikes we had refurbished. In the high bike season, probably good to have a few of those fixed up, something we can quickly remedy this week.

    This evening is the Bike Project Monthly Member Meeting, which I will attend. 

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 19
    Sales: $611.50
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $175
    Memberships: 8 for $240
    Tires/tubes: 16 for $129

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  13. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All,

    Pretty slow week, except for the last hour on Friday—fittingly enough. We’re working through scrapping the remaining low-quality bikes that are only good for the occasional component here and there.

    We had staff in on Tue/Thurs to help ramp up for sale production and we’ve made some headway there. We’ll continue the trend this week. Total for sale bikes is, I think, 15-20 with more in the queue.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 15
    Sales: $316
    Membership: 1  for $30
    Tires/tubes: 14 for $129

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

     

  15. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All,

    To my mind, a bit of a slow week. Sold some bikes and prepped more for B-a-B/sale bikes.

    This week I’ll be bringing staff in extra hours to help build more bikes for the inevitable Beginning Of Semester rush. We’re still hovering around 20 for sale now but are building a good inventory of fully-prepped B-a-Bs for when we sell out of our refurbed bikes. We are paring down our inventory of old/bad wheels that are taking up valuable space and creating safety hazards, which will make way for our more valuable and useful parts/bikes.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 16
    Sales: $499
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $200
    Memberships: 6 for $180

    Tires/tubes: 12 for $78

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
     

  16. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Pretty uneventful week on the whole. Highlight was an 11-year-old coming in with his mom to fix up his beat-up bike. At 11 he had great tool instincts and was excited about getting his hands dirty. Good times!

    Our “For Sale” bike numbers are steadily in the low double digits, but next month we’ll focus on building more, in hopes of staying ahead of the crush of returning students.

    This evening is the Bike Project member’s meeting, which I will attend.

    The numbers:

    Visitors:
    Sales: $970.75
    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $590
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Tires/tubes: 3 for $20

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
     

  18. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All,
    The heat is upon us! The high temps have kept us less busy than we might have otherwise been. Still had some folks in and had a Build-a-Bike completed—which is always especially rewarding. Our new door has been working swimmingly, as folks have been able to enter/exit without wrestling with the door and their bike at the same time.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 15
    Sales: $525.50
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $200
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
    Tires/tubes: 14 for $93

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

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