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Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

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  1. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, this past week we ramped up visitors slightly.  The weather really hurt attendance, which would have been much higher.  We still had people coming in and good attitudes abounded.  We sold 2 bikes for $300, 1 build-a-bike for $30, 2 memberships for $50, and grossed $1353.50.  We have been storing a lot of things we dont' need, and have lost a lot of space to idle items.  This week I realized how limiting this has been and how we need to change our work flow.  Also at the member meeting we discussed a front desk area with a host  and how many workspaces benefit from this.  Since we have a membership database promised to be coming soon I built a front desk area to capitalize on this. I reorganized the back and threw out a lot of useless junk.  The space is much more open now and we have more room to work and store useful items like tools and bikes.  We held a 3 speed hub class which was requested by at least 10 separate individuals, but no one attended.  I will be looking into a remedy.  I was able to update a good portion of the shops reports thanks to all the time freed up by Lily's hard work.  Lily and I continued our work on getting a sponsored donation site for the residents halls so normally abandoned bikes can be directly donated saving us all a lot of work and headaches.  We got a few bikes built, but were slow because of large donations and other projects. 

    This week I plan on continuing to update the shop's reports.  I will be working with Lily on presenting the cargo bike to FAA.  They had a change in leadership and some other set backs so we are restarting the relationship with a cool bike demo and presentation.  Lily's heading this up so I will be supporting her.  I will be trying to get some more bikes out of the warehouse and processed in anticipation of the spring cutting.  Lily is working with the residence halls on the donation event, and doing most of the planning work, but I may go to some of the meetings since I will be in charge of the implementation of the event.  I'm going to seek the assistance of Lily in ways to promote the Thursday afternoon classes.  I will also be sending out information on the wheel building class this week.

    From the Campus Bike Center,
    James Roedl

  2. Campus Honored with Tree Campus USA Recognition

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was honored today with 2015 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management.  

    tree campus USA logoTree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to acknowledge colleges and universities for successful campus forest management initiatives and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Currently, only 10% of four-year, degree-granting campuses nationally have achieved this prestigious certification.

    A Campus Tree Advisory Committee was established in 2015 to help seek this designation and act as an advisory body to Facilities & Services (F&S) whose Grounds department is responsible for the maintenance of more than 20,000 trees on campus.

    http://www.fs.illinois.edu/resources/news-announcements/2016/04/07/arbor...

    Attached Files: 

  3. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    Hello all, This past week was busy.  We lots of folks coming in to fix their bikes, but the weather made it weird some days we were empty others we had a 15 minute wait for repair stands.  We saw a lot of new faces, and made some new friends.  The shop sold 4 bikes for $630, 1 build-a-bike for $35, 5 student memberships for $125, 1 community membership for $40, and grossed $1517.  I talked to some of the people involved in the cargo bike loans, but was unable to get any progress yet.  I was unable to build a new desk welcome area, but did acquire a commercial hook wall for free!

    This week I will be working on meeting with people for the cargo bike program, and getting things ready for the residents hall donation program.  I will also build more bikes to sell.

    From the Campus Bike Center,
    James Roedl

  5. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, This past week was super chill.  We had a steady trickle of people come in and it was a good mood.  I was able to build some bikes and the stable is bust'n with rad steeds.  I was able to clean and organize the shop to an even greater level.  I am trying to make it more accessible to new comers.  I was able to catch up on some work which was nice.

    This week I plan on setting up some new fixtures in the shop and maybe building a sign in/register desk area so we can have a host greet people, sign them in, check them out, and register their bikes. 

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  6. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Dashboard Project

    The SWATeam continued the discussion about its Big Picture Recommendation for energy conservation regarding the Campus Master Plan.  Students reported their findings on what undergraduates want to see on energy displays in campus buildings.  Smaller updates on fume hood efficiency efforts and Illini Lights Out followed.  Green Labs Initiative intern Natalie Pelekh attended this meeting to present her research on Green Labs programs at other schools and to discuss factors that need consideration before launching our own Green Labs program.

    Attached Files: 

  7. Deer excluders at SAW

    Associated Project(s): 
    Native Plants at Arboretum

    Over the weekend student and community members put up 3 deer excluders at the South Arboretum Woods. 

    WE will be continuing with honeysuckle removal and general cleanup. 

    We also now have a decent shed with a lock on site thanks to the Natural History Survey.  We can store items in it including red bison things. 

     

    John C. Marlin PhD.

    Research Affiliate

    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

    Attached Files: 

  8. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Dashboard Project

    The iCAP ECBS Objective 2 consultation group is forming, and the first meeting is planned for the week after spring break.  Karl updated on fume hood efficiency efforts, which have led to several fume hoods being shut down.  The Energy Dashboard project was discussed and give to the Objective 4 Subcommittee as a new item to work on.  The team also discussed ways to advocate for energy conservation funding in the campus master plan and decided to create a proposal to send to the Office of the Provost.

    Attached Files: 

  9. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Education

    Hello all, This past week was good.  We saw steady increases in attendance with relation to the weather.  The weather even allowed us to open the doors which is a great improvement to visibility and atmosphere.  We sold 7 bikes for $750, 4 memberships for $100, and grossed $1470.  I was able to build bikes, and organize the shop a bit with the help of volunteers.  We've been able to integrate mobile time cards into shop staff procedure which has already shown dividends in saved time and complication.  I hired Lucas Hsu, an Urbana volunteer, on to the staff to replace Mike who took a degree related internship with the city.  I was able to get some bikes from the warehouse and assess the remaining handful.

    This coming week I will be having America table at the EcoFeminism sustainability event on campus.  I will building bikes for the spring rush.  I will work on removing the rest of the warehouse bikes, and cleaning up the warehouse. 

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  10. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Departmental Bike Sharing
    Bicycle Registration

    Hello all, This past week was great.  We weren't too busy, and we got some cool stuff done.  We sold 5 bikes for $640, 1 build-a-bike for $60, 4 memberships for $100, and grossed $1161.10.  We had a lot of volunteers come in and we were able to clean up the shop.  It looks great and is more functional.  I was also able to sort and organize a lot of the parts and we are much better for it.  We scrapped a lot of damaged frames, and low quality parts.  I added a couple of new tools to make things go faster and easier.  I worked on the cargo bike demo program, and am lining up a new department to lend the bike to.  We built several bikes and have about 40 for sale.  I was able to start ordering from the new supplier accounts I setup it was cool and we got some deals on parts.  We scrapped a lot of damaged frames, and low quality parts making some space.  We started using the new registration database.  The database is fully functional and awesome.  I meet with Stacey and Lily we did some pre Bike To Work Day planning.  I had a volunteer get all the advocacy materials organized and setup to be handed over to Lily. 

    This coming week I plan on getting more bikes from the parking warehouse, building more bikes for the spring rush, and continuing to clean and organize.  I'm going to work on setting up more classes for the spring.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  11. Project status update

    Associated Project(s): 
    ECE Rooftop Solar PVs

    ECE rooftop solar project update:

    1) The original PO bought approximately 500 panels for $240,925.  This was funded with $100K from the DCEO grant, and $140,925 from the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) funding. 

    2) The original funding plan was for a total project cost of $900,000.  It was made up of $225K from the SSC, $250K from DCEO, $100 from the Grainger Center for Engineering, and $325K from the department and college.  When DCEO cut the grant funding with the state budget crisis, the project stalled with just the initial purchase of panels completed.

    3) Current campus project implementation methodology requires this project to go through the Capital Programs process for installation of the panels.  ECE is seeking project funding and approval for the full installation.

    4) ECE has initiated a PO for the remaining 421 panels from a sole source vendor, at a discounted rate. 

  12. Chancellor Signs Resilience Commitment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Issue Press Releases and Sustainability Reports
    Make Climate Commitments

    http://sustainability.illinois.edu/ui-remains-green-campus-leader-as-cha...

    Illinois a Green Campus Leader as Chancellor Signs Climate Resilience Commitment

    Mar 2, 2016 | News Releases |

    MARCH 3, 2016 — The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took on a leadership role to more actively respond to global climate change when Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson signed Second Nature’s Climate Resilience Commitment in February.

    Illinois is a Charter Signatory of the Second Nature Climate Commitment, which combines a Carbon Commitment the campus signed in 2008 with the newly signed Resilience Commitment. The full Climate Commitment formally acknowledges that the effects of climate change are already felt — and that universities and colleges must pursue both mitigation and adaptation to combat the unfolding crisis.

    By adding the Resilience Commitment, Illinois has made a pledge to evaluate campus vulnerabilities to a changing climate in its landscapes, natural resources, and energy production — and to make an action plan that addresses those weaknesses.

    In 2015, Illinois released an updated Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) reporting its progress toward emissions reduction and other campus sustainability goals and outlining a new path to reaching net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2050.

    “While the iCAP is a plan for how campus impacts the atmosphere and climate, the resilience plan will be about how the campus reacts to atmosphere and climate change,” said Evan DeLucia, Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).

    Resilience is a measure of the ability to react to and recover from difficult circumstances. Resilient communities bend but do not break under pressure, he said.

    Wilson, who signed the document Feb. 9, said: “Signing the Resiliency Commitment is a natural extension of our efforts to carefully steward university resources. By planning ahead, we can prepare for a range of potential challenges presented by climate change — whether social, financial, or ecological.

    “We’re positioning ourselves to be the kind of nimble and responsive university that can deliver on our educational and research missions for generations to come.”

    DeLucia said that carrying out the terms of the commitment will create a more holistic picture of sustainability on campus.

    “I think this commitment will make us think about sustainability in a broader way,” he said. “Rather than only asking, ‘How much renewable energy do we use?’ we’ll also be asking ‘Do we have a diverse enough pool of energy resources so that if one fails, the entire system doesn’t fail?’ It will be less about being ‘green’ and more about being truly sustainable.”

    A PDF of the Resilience Commitment — complete with Wilson’s signature — can be viewed on iSEE’s website.
    Second Nature is a nonprofit organization with more than 20 years of experience mobilizing institutions of higher education to lead the way to a more just, healthy, and sustainable society. It sponsors the Climate, Resilience, and Carbon commitments and oversees reporting of the signatory institutions’ progress toward their goals.

     

  13. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, Last week was a little weird, but great.  We had some strange fluctuations in attendance that went against normal attendance/weather patterns.  We sold 1 bike for $140, 1 build-a-bike for $45, 2 memberships for $50, and grossed $768.80.  I ran out of room upfront so I started putting for sale bikes in the back of the shop.  My goal is to have half of the storage area be refurbished bikes by spring so we are ready for the rush.  The hydraulic disc brake class went very well.  Matt Crosby from Neutral came early and helped setup as well as publicized the event.  We have 5 people in attendance and everyone learned a lot.  We may have a second class to go deeper into bleeding and lever modulation adjustment. 

    This week I plan on helping to get Lily up to speed as Stacy sees fit, building bikes, and working on upcoming advocacy events.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  14. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Registration
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, This past week went well.  We sold 2 bikes for $230, one membership for $25, and grossed $475.  We were able to represent the center at the ISSS open house.  The bike registration database is completed and we are seeking approval from all parties to launch!  We built more bikes.  We are at about 40.  I was able to make some head way in organizing the shop.  There are so many built bikes now that they are becoming a nuisance.  I did more work on the blasting cabinet.  It has already proved useful, but the air filter unit that came with it is not working well and we may have to purchase new filters. 

    This week I will be holding a class on disc brakes due to requests by students.  I will send an e-mail about it to membership.  I will work on the air filter unit for the blasting cabinet.  I will also be building more bikes for the spring rush.  There is an international student safety day on the 24th that we will be participating in.  I will be preparing materials for that as well as seeing if we can do some mechanical demos.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  15. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee met Tuesday, February 16 to continue fleshing out the ECBS SWATeam's fourth iCAP objective, which has to do with increasing campus engagement in sustainability.  Discussion continued on ECIP and potential changes for the upcoming year- a major issue is raising awareness of this program and others like it. By the conclusion of the meeting, the focus of the subcommittee shifted to creating and sending recommendations to the iCAP Working Group, such as a Green Labs Initiative proposal as well as continuing Eco-Olympics or initiating a similar program that would serve as dorm resident engagement.  The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23.

    Attached Files: 

  19. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee held its first meeting on Tuesday, February 9.  Discussion revolved around the issue of tying all existing campus engagement programs (e.g., ECIP, Certified Green Office Program, revolving loan fund, etc.) together into one campus-wide brand.

    Attached Files: 

  20. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Registration

    Hello all,  This past week was way busy.  We got a lot of stuff done.  We sold one build-a-bike for $50, 2 memberships for $50, and grossed $523.20.  I brought a couple of new staff members online, and sorted out some payroll issues.  I worked with IT and we are now in the testing phase of the registration database.  If all goes well it will be online this week.  I worked on some details for upcoming advocacy events.  I built a second trailer bike as we have need/requests for a smaller frame bike.  I got the abrasive booth up and running.  It has already proven useful.

    This week I hope to finish the registration database.  I will be attending an advocacy event to table (the ISSS resource fair), and will work on a class I am planning for next week.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James

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