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Project Updates for collection: Campus Sustainability Tour

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  2. Pollinator Scorecard identifies project as exceptional habitat

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    The site’s 54 acres will serve as a major demonstration and research location for pollinator-friendly solar arrays. The University of Illinois Solar Farm 2.0 project exceeded the required 85 minimum points established by the State of Illinois’ Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act. With 134 points achieved on the pollinator scorecard, including the adjacent landscape buffer, the solar array officially “Provides Exceptional Habitat.” The custom seed mix designed by Natural Resource Services, with more than 21 different plant types that are native to the area, will make the land between and around the panels more resilient and create a natural habitat for a variety of local and migratory birds and beneficial insects. In total, the site will contain more than 6.5 million flowering plants and native grasses.

    Attached Files: 

  3. Donate your used bike to the Campus Bike Center

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

    Donate your bike! Campus Recreation’s Campus Bike Center (CBC) accepts used bikes. If you are leaving campus and you have a bicycle that you do not need, please donate it to the CBC at 51 E. Gregory Dr, Champaign. CBC refurbishes bikes and cleans them up for reuse. Please consider donating your used bike before leaving campus! Call us at (217) 333-0241. FREE water bottle while supplies last.

    51 E. Gregory Dr, Champaign, IL 61820

    Sarthak Prasad • Facilities & Services

    Donate your used bike to the Campus Bike Center

  4. Weekly Update: Quad Fix-it day, Doing Things by Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Not a whole lot to report from last week. Slow, sales and visits-wise. Picked up some scrap bikes from the warehouse on Friday. On Thursday we had our Quad Fix It Day with one participant for that. Got some new marketing materials/signage for advertising the space. One of my staffers had her last day for the semester and will be partaking in Illini 4000’s cross country bike ride.
    This week another staffer will be leaving for the summer. On Tuesday is CCBs commuting seminar (virtual) that I’ll be attending. I’ll be doing a bike delivery for the Bucket Brigade on Wednesday as they were all filled up last week. Should be a fun time and good publicity for Doing Things By Bike.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 9
    Sales: $105.00
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Bikes (refurb): 0
    Tire/tubes: 4 for $8

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  5. Radio interview about geothermal and clean energy

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition
    Geothermal Urbana-Champaign
    Geothermal at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
    Use Clean Power
    Use Clean Thermal Energy

    Morgan White with Facilities and Services, Sustainability, spoke with Stevie Jay and Diane Ducey on May 10, 2021 on ESPN radio 93.5. They discussed the new Campus Instructional Facility geothermal system, other clean energy projects on campus, and the local Geothermal Urbana-Champaign program.  

  7. Findings at the Farm - F&S Insider article

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Solar Farm 1.0

    A team of researchers will be measuring the impact of natural vegetation at the Solar Farm 2.0 grounds. Below the 31,122 bi-facial solar panels lie 54 acres perfect for pollinator-friendly plantings.

    But how exactly does one calculate the plants’ effectiveness? How about: count the bugs.

    Ben Campbell, an energy engineer at the University of Illinois Chicago, is part of a research effort that will do exactly that, and more. Their research will also address other matters at Solar Farm 2.0, including how the pollinator plants affect the efficiency of the solar panels’ power production, and how quickly and strongly the pollinator plantings grow.

    Additionally, F&S Utilities & Energy Services are a support team member for the research project which will study the economic and ecological benefits of planting native and other flowering plants under and around solar arrays. In order to count the bugs, a few times a year researchers will catch flying insects over the course of a day. The insects they collect will be taken to the Bee Research Facility on the Urbana campus where they will be identified and archived, under the guidance of Dr. Adam Dolezal.

    This might seem standard practice for a new test site with new plantings. What may surprise the reader is another research question: where and how many birds and bats will come around for feeding time?

    “The research is driven by the solar industry’s questions about the colocation of solar power production and pollinator habitat,” said Campbell. “Our research seeks to understand what scale of habitat is necessary to have measurable impacts on pollinator, bird, and bat populations at utility-scale solar facilities, in addition to benefits in terms of increased power production or lifecycle costs of managing vegetation. We are excited to have the opportunity to test these questions in our own backyard at Solar Farm 2.0.”

    Using acoustic and ultrasonic recorders, the team will record bird and bat abundance and diversity, respectively, over time, measuring wildlife elements until at least 2023.

    The research project, led by Iris Caldwell at the Energy Resources Center at University of Illinois Chicago, is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Office. Her research team consists of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UIC, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Six solar facility test sites have been selected for field research across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This includes the 12 MW Solar Farm 2.0 facility at UIUC. In partnership with F&S and Sol Systems (the site operator) the research team will evaluate the effects of the pollinator plantings on photovoltaic and ecological performance and compare operational costs with facilities that use conventional ground cover (usually turf grass). In addition, Solar Farm 1.0 may be used as a control site for comparison for performance and pollinator observation.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Podcast: Morgan White Speaks About Solar & Geothermal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition
    Geothermal Urbana-Champaign

    On May 10, 2021, Morgan White joined Stevie Jay Broadcasting to talk about renewable energy in the Champaign-Urbana community. In this 7 minute podcast, Morgan spoke about solar and geothermal energy initiatives by F&S and beyond!

    Listen to the podcast in the attached files!

    Attached Files: 

  9. archived info - prior project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0

    Construction of a new 54-acre, 12.32 megawatt (MWdc) Solar Farm has been approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees as the sole member of Prairieland Energy, Inc. Referred to as "Solar Farm 2.0," the new utility-scale array will be located north of Curtis Road, between First Street and Dunlap Avenue near Savoy. Solar Farm 2.0 will produce approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours per year (MWh/year), nearly tripling the university’s existing on-site renewable energy generation. Completion of this project will then grant the University of Illinois with the title of being the third-largest user of renewable power generated on-site for all higher education facilities in the entire country.

    Project Inception

    In April 2017, the Energy Sustainability Working Advisory Team (SWATeam) recommended that to increase our campus’ generation of solar power, either an extension should be built onto the original Solar Farm or additional solar panels be installed across campus rooftops. From there, the idea of Solar Farm 2.0 was born. In November of that same year, the Sustainability Council approved the concept of this new solar farm, and a site selection was completed during spring 2018. 

    In the summer of 2018, after discussions with our neighbors in Savoy, the Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee approved the location, and a request for proposals was initiated. Different vendors from across the nation submitted proposals and various designs for this new solar farm, with nineteen submissions in total. By May of 2019, Sol Systems of Washington, D.C. was chosen to complete the project. A twenty-year contract was negotiated, and the overall project is on track to be completed by the end of 2020.

    Project Overview

    Sol Systems will be responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance for Solar Farm 2.0, and like Solar Farm 1.0, the Urbana campus will use all the generated power.  The $20.1M contract is anticipated to save the university $300,000 in the farm’s first year compared to electricity purchased from the wholesale MISO market. Prairieland Energy will buy the solar energy at a fixed rate of $45.99 per MWh, while the University of Illinois will receive the associated renewable energy certificates (RECs) and the right to claim the use of clean energy.

    Pollinator Habitat

    Other innovative features of Solar Farm 2.0 include the incorporation of a pollinator habitat located beneath the panels. Indigenous plants will be planted throughout the farm to welcome local and migratory birds and insects. Specifically targeted towards butterflies and bees, Solar Farm 2.0 will be a welcoming environment for wildlife, as well as being a demonstration site for meeting the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act. A landscaped buffer will also be included in the final design of Solar Farm 2.0, creating visual screening of the solar panels along the south edge of the farm bordering Savoy.

  11. Pollinator Planting happening soon for Solar Farm 2.0

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    The Solar Farm 2.0 developer will be planting the Solar Farm 2.0 site next week.  On May 7, 2021, they will spray an herbicide mixture to prepare the site.Here are the details they provided:

    Glyphosate 41 herbicide and/or Ranger Pro.  They are both generic glyphosate-based herbicides. Ranger Pro includes a water-based surfactant in their formulation.    We will be adding a methylated seed oil for a surfactant.  We will not be using a spray dye in the mix to avoid residue on the panels.

  12. Weekly Update: bike sales, Quad Fix-it day, Bucket Brigade

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Had some nice warm weather last week. Sold a few more bikes. It’s almost as if there’s some kind of correlation between warmer weather and bike riding?
    Elsewhere: we had two participants for our Friday Ride. We had our first Quad Fix It Day but that was a bust: cool and rainy weather don’t make for a good bike time. We’ll do another one this Thursday but it’s forecasting for rain and cool weather again. Spring is fickle.
    Pending approval from Channing Murray, I’ll do a delivery run for the Bucket Brigade this week and see if it’s viable/feasible as a recurring event that we can promote.

    Our donations are picking up but mostly it’s been scrap-worthy parts, including maybe the worst salt/water damaged frame I’ve ever seen. Fun times!
    The numbers:

    Visitors: 30 (I card only)
    Sales: 1,241.60
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Bikes (refurb): 5 for $820
    Tires/tubes: 7 for $40

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  13. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)

    When built, the University of Illinois Campus Instructional Facility (CIF) will be a four-story building dedicated to academic and classroom use. CIF will serve 31,000 students daily and will leverage sustainable design to decrease its carbon emissions. The ground source heat exchange system will consist of approximately 60 wells arrayed under the John Bardeen Quad. It will be designed to be expandable, with the ability to be connected to other buildings, allowing for multiple phases. This SSC grant covers approximately 13% of the cost of the geothermal system, and this building project is the first public-private partnership on campus. As the campus works towards being carbon neutral by 2050, this project will not only reduce UIUC’s reliance on fossil fuels, but pave the way for new construction projects to use geothermal systems on campus. 

  15. Weekly Update: Moved bikes, Quad Fix-it Day, Bike Census

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Not much news from last week. We still aren’t busy-busy. I picked up bikes from the warehouse to scrap. I moved six kids bikes to Urbana on the big bike trailer and got lots of surprised looks, quizzical glances, and a couple thumbs up. Considering the amount of attention that trailer gets, we should look into getting some signage for it.

    There’s been some nascent interest in volunteering from a few visitors. That’s been welcome. We also rearranged the workspace, moving the second repair stand next to the first one by the tool wall. They’re still safely separated but not totally annexed to the other side of the shop.
    This week is our Friday Ride—last week was a no-show again—and our Quad Fix It Day on Thursday. I’ll be helping with the Bike Census on Wednesday as well.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 15
    Sales: $627.24
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $140

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  16. Bike Census volunteer opportunity (4/28) and TED Talk discussion (4/29)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series [ARCHIVED]
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Bicycle Counts
    Bike at Illinois Website and Campaign

    Happy Friday! I hope you are having a great Earth Week/Earth Month and have been able to attend a few (of the many!) activities this April. The Bike Census Spring 2021 is next Wednesday, April 28, from 10 – 11 AM. Bike Census is a collaborative, community-wide effort between Facilities & Services (F&S) and Champaign County Bikes that began in 2013 as part of ongoing improvement efforts to support the campus’ Bicycle Friendly University status.

     

    If you are available to volunteer next Wednesday morning, please sign up here. There will be a virtual training session beforehand at 9 AM. Two Illinois coffee mugs will be raffled off for student volunteers. I hope you are able to participate and in the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Sarthak Prasad (sprasad9@illinois.edu).

     

    On another note, in celebration of Earth Month, the next iSEE TED Talk: Eco-Edition event will focus on environmental activism and individual versus corporate responsibility for climate change. On Thursday, April 29 at 7 PM, participants will view a prerecorded TED Talk presented in July 2020 by Xiye Bastida: "If you adults won't save the world, we will." Afterward, all are invited to participate in a guided discussion hosted by iSEE Communications Intern and ESES student, Maria Maring. Sign up here.

     

    As always, be sure to check out the iSEE Sustainability Calendar for upcoming events and programs and help spread the word. Have a great weekend!

     

  18. Weekly Update: Friday Ride

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Not a whole lot to report from last week. We had our first attendee for a Friday Ride. He was unfamiliar with basic rules of the road so we took him on a very short loop to get him acclimated. At a stop light he asked, “So you can ride in the road?” Something to consider in future route planning/participation. We missed a call/voicemail from someone else asking about the Friday Ride so we’ll have to keep an eye on the phones going forward, as well.

    The forecasted snow on Tuesday probably won’t help business this week. I have the Campus Transportation Advisory Committee to attend on Tuesday but the rest of the week is business as usual. I’ll grab some more salvageable parts from the bike barn for staff-tasks for the week.
    The numbers:

    Visits: 25

    Sales: $339
    Memberships: 5 for $150
    Tubes/tires: 10 for $50


    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  19. Weekly Update: Basic Maintenance 101, Friday Ride

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

    All, Still not steadily busy as the temps started to dip. We’ll see what this week brings.
    We had our Basic Maintenance 101 class on Wednesday night. Sam held the class and we had 5 people signed up but only 1 showed. Friday Ride was a no-show except for a DI reporter who wanted to cover the event.
    This week is business as usual and our Friday Ride again. I’ll scavenge some freewheels and tires/tubes off some of the junk bikes in storage at some point, too. We are desperately low on used freewheels and can’t really get any new ones due to the sustained supply shortages.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 22
    Sales: $664.50

    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $410
    Tires/tubes: 7 for $26

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    WManager, Campus Bike Center

  20. Red Oak Rain Garden Monthly Newsletter: April 2021

    Associated Project(s): 
    Red Oak Rain Garden

    Each month, the Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) Team produces an e-newsletter to keep supporters updated on everything that is happening in the garden. In the April 2021 e-newsletter, the team highlighted RORG's hosted workshops & presentations, partnerships for grants, social media highlights, and more!

    To read their April 2021 newsletter, please see the attached file below.

    Attached Files: 

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