CTAC Spring 2020 meeting presentation
Associated Project(s):
Please see attached.
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Project Updates for collection: 2010 iCAP Projects
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Check out the I-Pollinate citizen science research initiative
Associated Project(s):I-Pollinate is a citizen science research initiative, through the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, designed to collect state-wide pollinator data. I-Pollinate enlists citizen scientists to participate in three research projects and collect data on monarch egg and caterpillar abundance, pollinator visitation to ornamental flowers, and state bee demographics. If you are interested in participating and want more information, visit the website site at https://ipollinate.illinois.edu/.
Covid-19 shut down of recycling sort line on campus
Associated Project(s):All:
Staying consistent with the guidelines issued by the CDC and University of Illinois effective Friday, March 20, 2020 at 3PM the sort line will be closed at the University of Illinois Waste Transfer Station until further notice Enumerated below are the changes effective 3/20/2020:
- DSC staff has been notified and will not be sending their staff to the waste transfer station starting Monday, March 23, 2020.
- No waste will be sent to the sort line. All collected mixed waste will be sent directly to the landfill.
- Pre-sorted materials such as a paper and cardboard will be continued to be collected and processed on the floor as normal.
- Pre-sorted materials such as bottles and cans will be stored in a roll-off container to be processed at a later time.
- All staff that will continue to work during this time at the WTS must adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Please note that there will be no change in waste and recycling collection schedules. Facilities and Services will continue to collect source separated trash and recycling from campus dumpster there will be no change in collection service. As there will be no material going to the sort line we do not anticipate an increase in material as most of campus is currently working remotely. Facilities and Services will be working with Area to monitor generation and evaluate if additional hauling service would be needed.
We thank you for your support and understanding during these unprecedented times. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach me or my team directly.
Seeking participants who are passionate about sustainable consumer products
Associated Project(s):Seeking participants who are passionate about sustainable consumer products
We are seeking individuals who are willing to participate in a short 30-minute conversation about sustainable and consumer lifestyles. Participants of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. If interested, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/LukTEJpRcY5Y8EY3A
Angel Han • In Affiliation with Cozad
Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm
Associated Project(s):Mr. Apfelbaum will tell us about his life-long project to restore his land on the border of Wisconsin, taking it back to its original state, before the changes brought about by farming, described in detail in his book Nature’s Second Chance. Having carried out ecological restorations world-wide, he is presently working in Urbana, restoring the Stone Creek golf course to its natural state.
March 12, 6:30 PM • Stone Creek Golf Club (Formerly known as Attie's), 2560 Stonecreek Blvd Urbana, IL
Amanda Christenson • Cooperative Extension Service
Info from Andy Robinson at F&S
Associated Project(s):I am on the team that did the Retrocommissioning project in 2018 and I would be happy to share some of our knowledge from that process. Below is the link to a presentation of that project that we took to a Big Ten energy conference. Some of our main takeaways are that the combination of chilled beams, dual HX wheels, coil sizing, occupancy ventilation, and thoughtful building pressurization have led to one of the most efficient buildings on campus. Also, the heat pumps work well to heat/cool with electricity, but would be optimal if there were more of a reheat load, or a hot water loop to send reject heat to a neighboring building in summer, which campus is looking into in certain locations.
https://www.fs.illinois.edu/services/utilities-energy/energy-conservation/rcx-energy-results
Andy Robinson, LEED-AP, CEM
DDC Specialist, F&S Energy Services - RCx
Biweekly meeting between Sarthak and David
Associated Project(s):Worked on Anaerobic Digestor presentation: added food waste energy potential and emissions, edited biogas use section, discussed structure, format and next steps. Also discussed contacts for additional information/ assistance.
Lunch with an Expert: Native Plants for Storm Water Management
Associated Project(s):An effective rain garden is planted with suitable trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plants that allow runoff to soak into the ground and protect water quality. Please join us for a presentation by Kaizad Irani on rain gardens from the landscape design perspective followed by a discussion. Bring your lunch and your questions. No question too big or too small. Come, learn and have fun.
January 27, 12–1:30 pm • U of I Extension Champaign Co., 801 Country Fair Dr., Champaign
Amanda Christenson • Cooperative Extension Service
You can choose durable printing materials!
Associated Project(s):Document Services offers durable printing materials, which can reduce landfill waste.
1. Waterproof small and large format paper. (Cheaper than lamination, and recyclable!)
2. Cloth – yes, they can print on a cloth. For something large that has to travel, can be folded, and is used multiple times.
LEED facilities standards getting updated
Associated Project(s):The Facilities Standards for LEED certification are getting updated to reflect LEED V.4. and to include resources for specific LEED points.
Mahomet Lots (Lot F-4) Permeable Pavement Proposal to SSC
Associated Project(s):Attached is the proposal, budget, and presentation for the upgrade of the Lot F-4 parking lot.
Resilient Landscape Strategy approved by CCRC
Associated Project(s):In 2019 F&S Executive Director Mohamed Attalla charged a Resilient Grounds Strategy Advisory Committee, to develop a Resilient Landscape Strategy for this campus. In December of that year, the Chancellor's Capital Review Committee (CCRC) approved the attached file, as the strategy for this campus moving toward a fully sustainable campus landscape. This effort is also reflective of a Senate Resolution from November 2018 (RS.19.03 Resolution for Campus Ssutainable Landscapes) and the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP).
Attached Files:Monthly meeting between David, Sarthak, and Meredith
Associated Project(s):Discussed progress with biogas presentation, contacts for additional information for presentation, steps toward drafting a biogas recommendation (i.e. multi-SWATeam meeting), timeline for presentation and recommendation completion. Also discussed the potential for the iWG to put forward this recommendation as opposed to SWATeam(s).
David and Sarthak's meeting notes from December 4
Associated Project(s):Discussed inter-SWATeam collaboration on future biogas recommendation, reviewed and edited presentation regarding biogas production and use. Shared data on dining hall food waste to biogas potential and routes to acquire life cycle cost analyses and additional data for biogas presentation (e.g. fertilizer potential of AD digestate).
David and Sarthak's meeting notes from November 20
Associated Project(s):David and I met on November 20, 2019 for our first meeting following his Biogas on Campus email on November 13th. David received an email from Doug Wolters from the College of ACES, and Doug said that he will discuss this project with his Dean. David had not heard from anyone else.
We discussed how to proceed with this project. I will try to get in touch with Lance Schideman to get his opinion on this subject. I introduced David to the SWATeam Clerk of the Transportation and Zero Waste SWATeam, Julija Sakutyte. I will talk to the Transportation SWATeam about a possible collaboration opportunity with the Energy SWATeam and Zero Waste SWATeam. David will also talk to the Energy SWATeam about this possible collaboration.
I have set up a biweekly meeting with David, and a monthly meeting with Meredith Moore for this project.
Biochemistry Student working with F&S on an Anaerobic Digester study project
Associated Project(s):Following is an email sent by David Rivera-Kohr regarding Biogas on-campus to several faculty and staff at the U of I.
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Hello,
My name is David Rivera-Kohr and I’m a student member of the Energy SWATeam. I want to propose using biogas for energy on campus. Since burning biogas for energy is effectively carbon neutral, this would bring us closer to our iCAP goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Biogas is a huge untapped resource for energy production at the U of I. Rather than utilize the methane from animal manure and carcasses and food waste, we allow much of it to escape into the atmosphere. The Sanitary District currently uses municipal waste, restaurant grease, industrial food processing waste and campus dining hall food waste as feedstocks for its own anaerobic digester to produce biogas which is burned to generate 25-30% of the facility's energy. However, the Sanitary District does not want to dedicate digestion capacity to manure due to the need to accommodate growth of the local area (i.e. anticipated growth of student population). Furthermore, the Sanitary District is not a UIUC facility, therefore its use of biogas does not alleviate campus energy demand or contribute to our net-zero emissions objective.
I have a few ideas for biogas production on campus I would like feedback on:
1. Add a biogas siphoning system to the manure storage tanks at the Beef & Sheep Farm.
2. Conduct a study to determine which UIUC facility produces the most methane from animal waste and construct an anaerobic digester there. The 2014 Anaerobic Digester Feasibility Study indicated the Swine Farms collectively had the highest methane output; Miles Redden told me the Beef & Sheep farm is the highest manure-producing farcilty, though ionophore feeding of beef cattle decreases methane output. It may be worthwhile to determine which single facility has the highest methane output in 2019-2020.
Additionally, there are a few options in consideration for how to best use the biogas:
1. Burn it on-site in existing natural gas furnaces to meet facility heat demands. This could be used in conjunction with the deep direct-use (DDU) geothermal system that is being studied for the ACES Legacy corridor—the brine solution from the DDU system will bring the facility's hot water to ~110 degrees F and the biogas furnace could increase that temperature to 130 degrees. There would likely be a considerable excess of biogas, which could either be burned on-site to generate electricity for distribution to the local grid (which is less efficient than combined heat & power), transported to nearby facilities to burn in their furnaces, or...
2. Upgrade the biogas (all or only the excess from idea #1) to pipeline-quality methane and inject it into the pipeline for use at Abbott Power Plant. There is a supply pipeline that runs through the ACES corridor where this methane could be injected.
3. Use upgraded biogas for compressed natural gas (CNG) to power F&S vehicle fleets.
The 2014 Feasibility Study also discussed constructing a pressurized pipeline to deliver waste from multiple facilities to the site of the anaerobic digester. This may be worthwhile if the biogas is to be used on a larger scale i.e. at Abbott Power Plant or some combination of the previous ideas.
Life-cycle cost analysis of the above options should be studied to determine the most cost-effective and, more importantly, the lowest emissions option. If you can, please let me know which of these options for biogas production and use sound most feasible, or if better ideas come to mind.
Finally, we need the support and expertise of faculty and staff to advance this proposal. If you are interested in backing or contributing to this proposal, or you know someone else who may be, please let me know. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you!
--
Best,
David A. Rivera-Kohr
Undergraduate Student
University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Biochemistry
Dr. Rutilio Fratti's Lab
ACES Approval
Associated Project(s):David Rivera-Kohr shared this great news today:
ACES has decided to support the biogas initiative! This is a huge step in the right direction. I’ve made decent progress on the presentation (though I need more information before it’s complete) and deciding which options to write the recommendation for is an important future step. An anaerobic digester is best in terms of energy production and waste disposal, but it ultimately comes down to what the University will fund. The Zero Waste SWATeam is very supportive of this idea and if I can collect evidence that a digester alleviates the burden on agricultural land and water consumption, the Land & Water team will also be on board. Thank you all for your help thus far, let’s make this happen! Communication with our Associated Dean for Research Germàn Bollero and the College of ACES is supportive of this proposal. As it moves forward, we will need to work together to determine the level of involvement that ACES faculty/staff are willing and able to provide.
Energy Conservation Incentive Program - Program Update
Associated Project(s):Hello ECIP winners,
When the Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP) was launched in 2013, it included financial awards that distributed some of the centrally managed campus utility funds back to the winning buildings. The calculation system was based on placement (first place to fourth place) in the awards program and the award category (occupant action or energy advancement). You can see the calculation in the attached fact sheet from 2016, if you are interested. With the Integrated and Value-Centered Budget (IVCB) reform, we transitioned this year, and we are closing out the initial phase one of the ECIP.
Some of the original award funding has not yet been allocated to an associated facility improvement project. If you have remaining funds and have not yet committed to a specific project, please do so as soon as possible. All ECIP award funds must be committed by the end of this fiscal year, so please let us know your plans.
Now in phase two, the ECIP awards include a plaque and the associated prestige, and no additional monetary awards (see attached revised fact sheet). Instead, your colleges will benefit directly from the energy savings. Additionally, to increase the visibility of the great progress all of you have made, we are collaborating with the Illinois Solar Decathlon’s Concept Team (incoming freshmen, learning about building systems and sustainability). They will be completing a simple Building-Level Energy Report card for the 50+ ECIP winners this fall. In the spring, I will send those reports to you with an opportunity to connect with the Concept Team members.
Later this week, I will send a follow up email to the FY19 winners with images to help you spread awareness of this award. Congratulations again to all of you, and thank you very much for your past and ongoing contributions to the campus sustainability and energy efficiency efforts.
Sincerely,
Morgan
Attached Files:News Gazette article on net square footage on campus
Associated Project(s):This article in today’s News-Gazette addresses net square footage on campus, which is squarely in the portfolio of our committee. It has been a concern of iCAP since its inception in 2008. It is also one of two items called out in the charge letter for our committee for this year.
I consider our obligation as a committee is to address the issue seriously within our committee and within the iCAP process, in order to effect change in campus growth. Any of us may of course, as citizens, engage the public dialogue on this issue. With this email I’d just like to bring everyone up to speed on the work of our committee last year. See slides 2 through 7 in the attachment.
I don’t know that we need to do anything differently, given the public airing of this issue. I’d like to hear from others on the committee on this matter.Bill Rose
Attached Files:2020 iCAP October Final Objectives: Transportation SWATeam
Associated Project(s):Attached is the final draft of the recommended 2020 iCAP objectives from the Transportation SWATeam.
Any meeting minutes from October 2019 or November 2019 may reference the following categories: Reduce the Number of Cars on Campus, Increase LEV Use, Decrease Business Travel Emissions, Road Management Systems, and Increase Active Mode of Travel/Active Transportation. Please refer to this document for any details.
There will be a revised version by the end of the 2019 Fall Semester after iWG gives feedback for the SWATeams to revise.
Attached Files:
