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  1. Program finishes strong!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Urbana-Champaign

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October, 31, 2017

    Contact: peterm@midwestrenew.org

     

    Solar Urbana-Champaign Bulk Solar Purchase Program Finishes Strong

    Claire Johnson and Jill Houser have just finished installing solar panels on Andy Robinson’s roof as part of the Solar Urbana-Champaign 2.0 program. They are  members of New Prairie Construction’s solar installation team, and part of a mostly female crew. They and other teams from New Prairie Construction will be installing 446.95 kilowatts of solar on 58 properties across Champaign County as a result of the program, which helped people save on solar through volume purchasing. Robinson not only went solar through the program, he also helped to lead it.

    “I’ve thought solar was a cool way to reduce our carbon footprint ever since seeing the 2007 UI solar decathlon house in DC, but it also needed to make financial sense for our family,” said Robinson, who was hired by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) to facilitate the education sessions, called “Solar Power Hours,” for the program. “Now we will offset nearly all of our electric use and it was a good financial investment.  New Prairie laid out the panels on the front and back roof in a way that looks like it is a part of the design of our 1920 house. We were especially happy to meet the diverse install crew of local women and men, and a highly qualified refugee.”

    “In the 1980’s, Jill and I got our start in construction through the woman-owned company Working Women Construction,” said Julie Birdwell, owner of New Prairie Construction. “When we started New Prairie Construction, we made a commitment to providing opportunities for women. We never regretted it. Our New Prairie women contribute more than just diversity. They help contribute to a positive work culture and maintain a high level of attention to detail and craftsmanship.”

    “When we think about the benefits of solar energy, we often picture environmental benefits, of which there are of course many,” said Peter Murphy, Solar Program Manager at Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). “But what often gets overlooked is the growing number of solar jobs, which are local and by nature cannot be outsourced.”

    “One out of every 50 new jobs added in the United States in 2016 was created by the solar industry, representing 2% percent of all new jobs,” according to The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit organization that conducts a national solar jobs census.

    “We recently had an opportunity to hire an Afghan national who worked in construction for the US military in Afghanistan,” said Birdwell. “Hiring such a refugee is a way of acknowledging the risks and sacrifices he and his family have made to support our country. In addition, he and our other employees from different cultures and countries provide positive contributions to our work culture, and we feel, our overall product.”

    “In the first day of solar production, our kids said that we were vacuuming with sunshine,” said Robinson. “And they are right.”

    “The electricity produced by the 446 kW of solar the program has contracted will offset around 639,035 lbs of CO2 being released into atmosphere in the first year alone,” said Scott Tess, Environmental Sustainability Manager at the City of Urbana. “That amount of solar energy will also save almost 10 million gallons of water from use in thermoelectric power plants that run on coal or natural gas.”

    The program was administered by the MREA at no cost to the city or the county. MREA has successfully implemented similar programs in other jurisdictions in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin as seen in Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Bloomington-Normal, and elsewhere. Solarize programs have taken place all over the country, from California to Maine.

    "The solar branch of New Prairie Construction Co. is a natural extension of our commitment to providing high quality, environmentally responsible solutions for homes and businesses," says Julie Birdwell, co-owner of New Prairie. "Solar Urbana-Champaign 2.0 provides an excellent opportunity for our community to use the power of bulk purchasing to get premium quality installations for a great price.  We are excited to work with our neighbors to help increase sustainability and energy independence in Champaign County."

    MREA issued a request for proposals to solar installers in January. A local advisory committee reviewed proposals based on professional certification, experience, and cost. They selected New Prairie Construction Co., based in Urbana. They were chosen as the solar installer for the second Solar Group Buy because of their high-quality solar installations, building science expertise, and emphasis on customer service.

    ###

    The MREA was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit shortly after the first Energy Fair in 1990. MREA’s mission is to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration. To learn more, call 715-592-6595 or visit www.TheEnergyFair.org or www.midwestrenew.org.

  2. UIUC's answer to MSU regarding EV charging at UIUC

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    MSU asked the following questions of the Big Ten schools.  Here are the UIUC answers, provided by Professor Scott Willenbrock:

     

    Ann,

    Here is information on UIUC.  Most of this infrastructure was put in 3 years ago.  We are now starting to think about where to go from here, so we would appreciate your sharing what you learn from other Big Ten partners.

    Scott

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    BIG10 Sustainability Friends,

    I am looking for case study information on campus EV charging stations. MSU has several but are looking to expand the service. I have a few questions.

    • How many stations/spaces do have installed on campus? Level 2: 8 spaces.  Level 1: 14
    • How do you charge for use? Level 2: 6 spaces have Chargepoint chargers.  Price is $2/hr for the first 4 hours, $8/hr thereafter.  2 of the spaces are free to visitors of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.  Level 1: Six are free to permit holders, eight are pay spaces ($0.75/hr).
    • How is the cost structured? See above.
    • How do incentivize use? Or regulate use so that only EVs can access? We do not incentive use per se.  The six Level 1 chargers that are free to permit holders are all used daily.   In all spots (Level 1 and Level 2) there is signage that says “EV charging only”, and these are generally respected.
    • Are you measuring how much each station gets used? Level 2 Chargepoint: Yes (see below).  As mentioned above, the six Level 1 that are free to permit holders are used daily.  All other chargers are seldom used.
    • Do you have business model to understand payback on the infrastructure/equipment costs?  No. The installation of the Level 2 chargers was expensive, several tens of thousands of dollars.  We are getting about $100/month of income from them.  Clearly this does not make economic sense.  The Level 1 chargers are free, but the cost of the electricity we are providing is so small as to be negligible.  This may change if we expand access to Level 1 charging.

     

    The last question is the most important.

     

    Thank you,

    Ann

     

    Ann Erhardt, MM, ISSP-SA

    Director of Sustainability

    Strategic Initiatives

    Infrastructure Planning and Facilities

    Michigan State University

  4. iWG meeting minutes October 27, 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Green Lab Program
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Topical iCAP Teams
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Agriculture, Land Use, Food, and Sequestration (ALUFS) SWATeam

    see file

    Attached Files: 

  5. Call for Eco-Olympics Leaders

    Associated Project(s): 
    Eco-Olympics

    Apply to fill one of the EcoOlympics officer roles Now!

    Do team building, leadership, networking with campus stakeholders, and preparing for the real world sound like a great way to build your resume. Gain experience and build these business aspects of your portfolio while having fun with your colleagues and making a difference in the world!

                    Leadership, team building, communication and business organizational experience with environmentally friendly programs put you at the top of the pack when applying to corporate/academic internships, non-profit organizations, outreach organizations and graduate programs. Participating as an officer is gratifying and fulfills these qualifications, while providing plenty of documented recognition in environmental stewardship and energy conservation.

    See file for example of leadership certificate and acknowledgement from Chancellor Jones.

    We are currently building this year’s organization team, so join us to develop your portfolio and work together organizing and helping others reach their goals and make a difference in the world, by sending a 75-150 word essay (essentially 2-3 paragraphs) about why being an officer on the EcoOlympics organization team is important to you. Send to EcoOlympics@gmail.com and include the position (see list below) you are applying  for in the subject title.

    For a closer look:

    1) At the competition, visit the iCap description and our website

    2) For personal benefits visit housings article highlighting Jessica Mondello’s experience and accomplishments

    3) As for fun, games and camraderie check out and join our facebook page 

    Now accepting resume’s for the following positions:

    Team Members:

    ·         President- leads the organization team, manages all aspects of the competition

    ·         Treasurer- manages funding of the competition, sponsors, prizes, marketing materials and promotions

    ·         Marketing/Publicity Chair- manages the recruiting of participants, marketing events and advertising, coordinates efforts with the     Building Captain Manager

    ·         Building Captain Chair- communicates and motivates the building captains for each team and collaborates with the Publicity Chair

    ·         Technical Chair- manages and publishes the technical data, networks with utilities services and building managers to gain access to metering information

    See file for time commitment per role.

    Resume building, networking and gratifying experience – Preparation for real world
    Emphasize the shortness of the commitment for the value gained
    There will be guidance, resources, and structure for accomplishing these leadership roles

     

    Thank you

    Paul Foote

    Think Globally. Act Locally

     

    University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

    Facilities and Services, Utilities and Energy Services

    Energy Conservation and Retro-commissioning

    Office: 217-244-1048

     

    Attached Files: 

  6. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, with warm temps last week the shop remained busy. Friday there was even a line for stand time. Wednesday morning was the bike census. It was wonderful weather for it and I think it went well! One CBC student staffer and a CBC volunteer extraordinaire volunteered for the event, which I was happy to see. Thanks, Leah and Rick!

    On Friday, a Bike Project Volunteer came and picked up all the scrap we’d accumulated in the last few weeks, which will help immensely in organizing and storage.

    Programming alerts: This week is the Campus Sustainability Celebration on Wednesday so the shop will be closed for that; and next Monday (30th) I will be out of town. I will post on the website and Facebook for both closings. (And of course, signage on the door.)

    On to the numbers:

    Visitors: 99
    Sales: $1,066.45
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $159
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $210
    Memberships: 10 for $300
    Tires/tubes: 24 for $124

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  7. Weekly Update

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

    All, last Monday we had the bike warehouse move out event on Monday. As I mentioned last week, we moved out about 317 bikes. Some of the bikes we kept and moved back to the CBC have already been claimed as build-a-bikes, which is great. The rest will be cleared out at a TBD date.

    Belatedly announcing this but: Lily and I and Amy tabled at an event at the Union on October 5th.  It was a University employee expo of sorts. The very first person I spoke with was misinformed about safe passing distance for cars, something I was able to correct. It was a welcomed change and challenge to inform a lot of vehicular road users about how to interact with bicyclists and pedestrians, considering all the gripes I heard from employees about walkers and bikers—as most employees drive to work from out of town (or at least the ones I spoke with do). I was also pleased to see a lot of familiar faces of people that have visited the Campus Bike Center.

    This week is the bike census, happening on Wednesday. Hopefully we’ll get good weather and a good snapshot of the state of bicycle parking on campus.

    The numbers:

    Sales: $635.50

    Memberships: 13 for $390
    Bikes (Refurb): 0 for $0
    Bikes (B-a-b): 0 for $0
    Tires/tubes: 10 for $54

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  10. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Counts

    All, nothing major to report last week. Shop was open, people came in, same as usual. I coordinated with Working Bikes for our shipping event that happened yesterday. We packed up 317 bikes to go back to their warehouse in Chicago and then onto South Africa. There are still 67 bikes left that WB said they will return for later this fall. There is also a collection of the good bikes we are saving for ourselves. Those total about 50 or so.

    Our new policy of allowing for free used tubes hasn’t caused any problems. Maybe 5-10 people have taken us up on it. Surprisingly one person insisted on patching despite the free tube. That might change next Spring/Summer. It will also help to expedite peoples’ stand time, as it’s obviously quicker to grab a used tube than mess with patching.

    Tomorrow is the Bike Census. I will be helping Lily with that. I will also be shuttling the good bikes from the warehouse back to CBC and moving some over to the Urbana shop as well. CBC is currently packed to the gills with bikes.

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 91
    Sales (overall): $1,221.50

    Memberships: 11 for $330
    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $555
    Bikes (B-a-B): 0 for $0
    Tires/tubes: 18 for $132

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  11. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Illini Lights Out
    Green Lab Program
    AFMFA- Deferred Maintenance Funds
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)

    The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) is looking to become more involved with the SWATeams and sustainability on campus. ECBS proposed ideas such as decreasing refrigerator usage, making a climate action plan specifically for DIA, and promoting recycling at tailgates. Illini Lights Out had their first event on September 29, and it was a success. 284 light switches were turned off in 13 different buildings. The Green Labs Coordinator position is slowly making progress, but there is a concern with funding. Updates on the ECIP were made, and there is a push being made for mid-year checkpoints in the future. ECBS also discussed if AFMFA projects could be redefined in order to do more maintenance-based projects. 

    Attached Files: 

  13. Weekly Update

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

    All, the major news of last week was the Light The Night event. We installed roughly 870 light sets this year! We completely sold out, which is a first for me in the 4 or so years in which I’ve been involved with this event. With it still being warm out, I hope we can get some valuable feedback from people who’re using the lights in regards to which ones they like, how they’re performing, etc.

    Last week was also the Members’ Meeting for the Bike Project wherein it was decided that used tubes will henceforth be free of charge for in-shop repairs. While this will cut into profits, it is a better choice as we do not have the ability to maintain proper quality control with our used tube selection. If a person wants to buy a tube for later use, however, they must still pay for it.

    Late Friday I got a message from Working Bikes in regards to coordinating for emptying the Bike Warehouse. They would like to do the event next Monday (October 9th). I will discuss with the Bike Project and decide if this is doable.

    The numbers:

    Sales (overall): $867.95
    Memberships: 12 for $360

    Bikes (refurbished): 0
    Bikes (Build-a-Bike): 0
    Tires/Tubes: 26 for $180

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  14. Transportation iCAP efforts in progress

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Decrease Emissions from UI Fleet
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Increase Public Transportation Use
    Upgrade Bike Parking U-loops
    2014 Campus Bike Plan
    Bike Sharing
    Bike at Illinois Website and Campaign

    Hello Transportation SWATeam members,

    Thank you again for your willingness to help our campus achieve the Climate Leadership Commitments.  There is great value provided by the bi-weekly meetings of student, faculty, and staff representatives evaluating our progress and recommending additional actions campus units could take.

    The following is a list of current activities I am aware of, and suggestions I have about useful next steps.  I am happy to follow up with you on any of these, as needed.

    Thank you very much,

    ~Morgan

    Transportation

    1. EV analysis for department’s assigned vehicles – Hursh Hazari worked with Pete Varney’s data to evaluate the possibility of replacing some fleet vehicles with EVs.  https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/use-electric-vehicles-ev-campus
    2. Pete Varney has established the F&S fleet as a certified green fleet.  Pete, do you create an annual report for the status of that which you can share?  If not, can you provide an update to the SWATeam and to me? 
    3. Last year the SWATeam discussed encouraging additional campus units to get certified as green fleets.  Your team could submit a recommendation for another unit (or more than one) to pursue that certification. 
    4. New EV Chargers – Scott Willenbrock is working on one at the Illini Union + Phil Krein is interested in getting more Type 1 chargers for the North Campus Parking Deck.
    5. Potential EV Study – At the Oct. 11 Workshop for the Living Lab research connections to iCAP, there will be seed funding offered and the study for transitioning to EVs could collect and use data on campus vehicle use.  Pete has example data, which could be used to support the request for seed funding, which could then possibly fund data collection for the study.
    6. We do not yet have new air travel emission data.  iSEE is working on creating a virtual storeroom to offer carbon offsets to campus units to voluntarily buy air travel offsets.  The storeroom has funding for the first 10,000 offsets, but I understand there was a hurdle on selecting appropriate offsets with additionality.  I recommend asking Ben McCall and Scott Willenbrock about it.
    7. A new Mode split survey is needed as soon as possible.  Lily Wilcock intends to bring this as an item for discussion.  We would appreciate it if you would help define the survey questions, and then iSEE can help distribute the survey to get updated figures. 
    8. Bike Plan – I suggest you ask Stacey DeLorenzo to join one of your meetings to give an overview of the status of the Bike Plan infrastructure upgrades.
    9. Lily has funding for a Bike at Illinois website, which Creative Services will develop in the winter and spring months this fiscal year. 
    10. Lily has worked with MTD to offer bus tours to show campus staff how to use the MTD.  We teach all our new student how to ride, but none of the new employees get the personal introduction.  These tours are very successful, when they are organized with a specific department or location. 
    11. Bike Parking – there is a significant capacity issue, which is noticeable just by looking around campus, especially during class hours in the core area.  Lily has a new website that she can show you, and there is an upcoming Bike Census, which your team members should help with.
    12. Bike Sharing – a handful of dockless bike sharing companies are wanting to come to town/campus.  To manage their impacts (imagine bikes in the boneyard) they will be required to obtain city permits.  Lily is asking the SSC to use the funds they allocated to bike sharing for additional bike parking areas in the heart of campus.
    13. MCORE – this project has several impacts on multi-modal transportation.  You can learn more at http://www.mcoreproject.com/project-construction-updates.

  15. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, The big event for last week was an unruly member who I had to kick out of the shop on Wednesday. Other than that, the week went smoothly.

    Lily and I tabled at the Volunteer Fair in the Union on Tuesday. We got a dozen or so signatures (maybe more?) for general volunteer interest in the Campus Bike Center and help with Light The Night.

    On Wednesday, I got a count of the bikes that we’ll be donating from the Bike Warehouse to Working Bikes. This year a portion of the bikes will be going to Houston to help with hurricane relief. Tally for the bikes was 332, give or take.  I will be coordinating with Working Bikes and Parking this week to finalize a date.

    This week is Light The Night on Tuesday. I will close the shop for the event. The signs for the event were dropped off on Friday.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 131
    Sales: $1,584.85
    Memberships:  24 for $720
    Bikes (Build-a-Bikes): 2 for $171
    Bikes (Refurbished): 0
    Tires/Tubes: 36 for $196

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  16. RainWorks Challenge - call for participants

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Infrastructure
    Independent Student Projects
    EPA RainWorks Challenge

    We are currently looking for more members for the EPA's Campus RainWorks Challenge. We will be looking into green infrastructure projects that could be implemented on campus.

    "The Campus RainWorks Challenge seeks to engage with undergraduate and graduate students to foster a dialogue about responsible stormwater management and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices."

    We have a interdisciplinary team of faculty advisers. Our primary faculty adviser will be  Professor Arthur Schmidt from Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering.

    We are also hoping to have an interdisciplinary team, so all majors are welcome, as long as you have a passion for the project. 

    Teams will be finalized on September 30th. If you're interested in joining or have any questions, please contact Jessica Wiegand at jmwiega2@illinois.edu or Cindy Chen at cchen161@illinois.edu.

  19. EGen SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Solar Power on Campus

    The Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution SWATeam met for the first time of the FY2017 on September 21. They revised their focus topics for the year and reviewed progress on current projects, such as on the rooftop solars on the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building, the Speech and Hearing Building, and the Business and Instruction Facility. Finally, EGen also discussed the possibility of building a second solar farm in order to further meet iCap goals. 

    Attached Files: 

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