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Project Updates for collection: 2010 iCAP Projects

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  1. Continuing Partnerships and Engagement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach

    The Office of Sustainability hosted the first monthly CCNet Sustainability meeting of 2012 on January 19. The meeting had 39 attendees, including faculty, staff, students, local government employees, and members of the community. There was a presentation and discussion led by SEDAC about the organization’s work and national energy trends.  CCNet Meetings will continue throughout 2012, taking place at noon on the third Thursday of each month, at the Natural Resources Building, room 101.

    Sustainability employees from campus, Urbana, Champaign and the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) continue to collaborate. In January, we discussed each agency’s respective greenhouse gas inventories. It was decided that Champaign and Urbana will include any University emissions which fall within their respective jurisdictional boundaries in their city-wide reports. For the purposes of local reporting, the University will be considered a separate entity that overlays both cities, similar to any other business entity, rather than a distinct jurisdiction. It was also decided that a separate meeting will be necessary to specifically address transportation-related emissions and how each entity is tracking and reporting on these.

    The YMCA/YWCA on Wright Street requested a meeting to discuss their sustainability efforts and how the University may be able to assist. They are working on building improvements and changes to their parking and outdoor space. We gave them suggestions of people they may want to contact for input and advice.

    Sustainability staff attended an Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) networking event and talked with IGBA board members about potential future collaborations.

    The City of Champaign Recycling Coordinator requested information about the impacts of plastic and paper bags on campus facilities and the campus waste stream. She also requested letters of support for a bag ban from student environmental groups.

    Sustainability staff attend monthly conference calls/webinars of the Governor’s Green Universities and Colleges subcommittee.  In January, there was a presentation at ISTC about weatherization of campus buildings, and the disconnect between LEED certification and weatherization practices.

  2. Sustainability Portal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach

    The OS is working with MSTE to develop the Illinois Sustainability Portal, an online hub for sustainability-related information on the Urbana-Champaign campus.  We met with MSTE several times in January to develop the site architecture and database structure for the site. A preview of the site will be shared during Earth Week (April 16-20). When complete, the portal will be the go-to place for people to learn about all iCAP projects and goals, to submit ideas for consideration, and to research historical data about emissions and other sustainability metrics.  Additionally, project leaders will be able to report to the OS on their progress and plans. We envision this to be an incredibly useful tool going forward.

  3. Campus Makes Public Transportation Improvements

    Associated Project(s): 
    Encourage Active Transportation

    Funding was approved for several pavement improvements on campus streets.  These improvements will reduce gas consumption and corresponding emissions for vehicle traffic; restripe the bike lanes on a portion of Gregory Drive; extend the bike lanes on Fourth Street south to Kirby Avenue; add pedestrian countdown traffic signals at two signalized intersections; implement traffic calming measures, such as curb bump outs for increased pedestrian safety in key locations; and improve one block of the Illinois Marathon route on First Street, between Peabody Drive and Kirby Avenue.

    Staff are participating in weekly conference calls with Zipcar to encourage the use of car sharing and active transportation on campus. A Zipcar winter welcome special offer was shared in the OS newsletter and through the OS twitter account.

  4. Grants in Progress for Increased Funding

    Associated Project(s): 
    Seek External Grant Funding for Implementation

    Several grants are in progress to meet iCAP goals.  Staff submitted the quarterly reports for DCEO ARRA Large Customer Thermal Grant on January 5.  We also requested a funding increase for this grant from DCEO and are currently waiting for their decision.  F&S applied for the F-SCRAP Grant from DCEO, for $250,000 for the Large-Scale Food Waste Composting Facility, submitted January 13.  Energy Services continued discussions with DCEO about FY12 Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards (EEPS) Grant Applications.   Energy Services also met for the first time with a DCEO contact about a new grant program for steam traps. We will develop a proposal to pursue the grant. 

  5. Campus Composting Progress

    Associated Project(s): 
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting

    The firm that was hired last fall to complete the Compost Feasibility Study, Foth, submitted a draft of their study to the University in early January for comments.  Immediately following, F&S applied for $250,000 from the F-SCRAP Grant from DCEO, for equipment and site improvements for the Large-Scale Food Waste Composting Facility.  In order to apply for the grant, the University was required to commit to funding the remaining portion of the facility’s proposed budget, and an emergency phone meeting was called by the Student Sustainability Committee to assign funding toward this. The committee voted in favor and granted $250,000 toward the project.  A draft plan for the compost facility was also developed and distributed to key stakeholders in mid-January for feedback. 

  11. update from Tom

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    From: Thomas Ferrarell [mailto:tjferrarell@gmail.com]
    Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 10:27 PM
    To: Allen, Amy E; Beverage, McKenzie; Johnston, Morgan B
    Subject: Re: Weatherization

    I met with Dean, and I e-mailed all the groups, I'll send Julie a copy. I'll need to stop by McKenzie's office early this week to get their documents back so they can begin working on their lists. I'll also touch base with the additional buildings tomorrow morning before giving the teams their next assignments.

    Dean gave me a new timeline. He would like the recommendation lists by February 1st. He'll give the lists to people that will find the money values for the line items. He estimates that will take roughly 2 weeks. Once that is done, we will meet with all the team leaders and have a conversation about how to best use the $50,000. We were going to set that meeting somewhere in the ball park of February 20th. So right around then is when we'll be done.

    -Thomas Ferrarell

    On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 9:15 PM, Amy Allen <allen16@illinois.edu> wrote:

    Hey Tom,
           Were you able to get in touch w the teams about doing more buildings & presentations to Dean? Just an FYI, SECS' temporary weatherization group leader is Julie Fry(<fry6@illinois.edu>).
    Best,
    Amy

  12. Composting Program- Grant Application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Foodwaste

     A food-waste audit was done at University Housing facilities, which involved collecting and weighing waste from student’s plates that was put into the trash, as opposed to the disposal. Once the bag reached a full level, it was weighted and recorded. The weights measured food scraps and napkins, but not liquids. The average waste was about 4.6 ounces per person.

    Attached Files: 

  13. FY12 Projects Selected

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    These projects were selected for FY12 RLF funding, in this priority order:

    __________________________________________________________________

    Lighting Retrofits

    RLF Requested: $1,500,000

    This project is part of a campus-wide effort to upgrade all T12 fluorescent light fixtures to yield improved lighting quality for the users while decreasing operating and maintenance expenses.  This project involves energy-saving upgrades to lamps and ballasts of existing fluorescent light fixtures in (53) campus buildings.  We are requesting funding in the amount of $1.5 million, although the work is scalable and any funding amount can be successfully applied.  The total campus need for lighting retrofit is approximately $3.1 million.  Partial grant reimbursement of $800,000 is available.

    __________________________________________________________________

    Occupancy Sensors

    RLF Requested: $500,000

    This project will install occupancy sensors for control of lighting and HVAC in approximately (30) campus buildings.  As a result, energy use will be decreased up to 30% in affected areas.  This is an expansion and continuation of projects in the past two years, which have focused on installation of occupancy sensors in student classrooms. We are requesting funding in the amount of $500,000, although the work is scalable and any funding amount can be successfully applied.  The total campus need for occupancy sensors is over $6.5 million.  Partial grant reimbursement of up to $40,000 is available.

    __________________________________________________________________

    LED Exit Signs

    RLF Requested: $250,000

    This project will replace existing exit signs with efficient LED fixtures in approximately (14) campus buildings.  As a result, energy use will be decreased, life safety systems will operate more reliably, and maintenance needs will decrease dramatically.  This is a continuation of projects funded in FY07 and FY08. We are requesting funding in the amount of $250,000, although the work is very scalable and any funding amount can be successfully applied.  Partial grant reimbursement of up to $7,000 is available.

    __________________________________________________________________

     

  17. Watt Meters for audit teams

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    I think we could probably borrow SEDAC's--you can contact Andy Robinson at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center("Robinson, Andrew Ansel" <aar@illinois.edu>). Last year, we worked out a memorandum of understanding to use a blower door from SEDAC's affiliate, the Building Research Council, so this shouldn't be a problem. You can mention that. I can also contact him, as I used to work there.  - Amy Allen

    On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Thomas Ferrarell <tjferrarell@gmail.com> wrote:

    I've been unable to get watt meters through cheap means. SECS is still unsure where theirs are, and the library has only 2 rentable and they have both been checked out till the 19th. I want to ask if you think this is still a valuable task to include, that is: measuring the energy usage of items like computers, mini-fridges, personal microwaves/toasters/coffee makers/water heaters, and using the data to suggest a change in behavior. If so, would you be opposed to buying 6 watt meters for teams to use?

    They seem to be around $25 per meter 

    (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=watt+meters&gs_upl=60l3317l0l3554l22l15l3l0l0l0l341l2953l0.8.3.3l17l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1204&bih=684&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5525303247386121198&sa=X&ei=C5m5TreNJuag2gWSwfCjBw&ved=0CI8BEPMCMAM#ps-sellers)

    and I could pick them up at radio shack. They may or be helpful in the future if this project continues.

    What do you think? Or do you know of other means to obtain meters more cheaply?

    -Tom

  18. training audit team leaders

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    I had a big problem trying to get the building contacts and all the teams on the same page to meet. And most of the building contacts were being very unresponsive. So I changed up the plan a little. I'll be meeting with the team leaders and any other members who can attend at the Intensive English Institute (since they were being the most accessible) and will be training them all at once. 

    I went to the buildings that weren't responding and sat down with the contacts, a few are allowing me to key the teams in after 5pm/weekends to avoid interruptions and help them finish quicker. Only 1 building of the 9 has been able to elude me, I'm going to try again tomorrow. 2 others said they could get back to me by wednesday. 

    A few of the teams expressed willingness to work the week after thanksgiving break too if necessary to complete all 9 buildings.

    -Tom

  19. Update from Tom

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    This week was a setback. I'm trying to get availability schedules from the building contacts to give to the students so they know when they can and can't be in certain rooms as it was expressed as a concern from a few responders about interruptions. I asked if we could have access on the weekends and/or during after hours to make it easier, a few are open to it. Only 1 of the teams set up a meeting with me this week, the others have said they are available next week. I cancelled the meeting with the one team because the building I assigned them did not let me know when I could do a demonstration there. I wasn't comfortable with just barging in and poking around. There is still 2 weeks left till thanksgiving, and if these contacts decide to follow through and allow us in after closing or on the weekends, I'm very certain all the buildings will get done. I think the students are having trouble organizing when they can meet during normal work hours because thats also normal class hours. I'm in contact with all the team leaders and I'm doing my best to stay organized with their times. I'm following up with the building contacts today, and monday to try and push them to get me the availability schedules. If they are still taking too long to respond, I can gauge which teams will be willing to work after thanksgiving break if necessary.

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