September 2025 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.

Email from Jacob Benjamin:

All,

Last week was the conclusion of the bike retrieval period for abandoned bikes.  We got three claims in the 11th hour, which was good. I’ll begin organizing the leftovers this week, with help from my staff. We are critically low on some used parts, so this is fortuitous timing.

Elsewhere, I have two new staffers starting this week—just in time for October!

The numbers:

Visitors: 94
Sales: $1,319.25
Bikes (refurb): 1 for $100
Memberships: 24 for $720
Tires/tubes: 28 for $153

Thanks!

Email from Jacob Benjamin:

Last Wednesday was Bike To Work Day! It was a success. Had good weather and good turn outs at the stations I visited.

Light The Night is tomorrow evening. Should be good weather—if warm—for that, too!

We are busy but it’s not mayhem anymore—that’s a plus!

We are low on used tires, as is common this time of year. I’ll roll over to the Urbana shop to see if they have any to spare.

The numbers:

Sales: $1,735.35
Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50

Memberships: 38 for $1140
Tires/tubes: 31 for $286

August 2025 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.

Today, Sarthak met with a technical support staff from Eco-Counter to diagnose and address several malfunctioning counters around campus. They found the following:

• Wright St and Healey St East Side
  • Problem: Flashing red light, counter could not detect sensors, corrosion on one of the connections between logger and sensors
  • Analysis: Corrosion caused a short circuit that depleted external battery and impacted logger's internal battery
  • Recommendation: Replace system with MULTI Evo post
• First and Windsor
  • Problem: pedestrian counter counting randomly
  • Analysis: Electromagnetic interference or issue with sensor
  • Recommendation: Wrap sensor in aluminium foil to mitigate interference. Inspect sensor and replace if needed
• Illini Uninon North Side
  • Problem: bicycle counter not counting
  • Solution: Adjusted settings of bicycle counter to resolve this issue
• Main Quad East - Bevier Hall
  • Problem: pedestrian counter was counting erratically and counting ghosts
  • Analysis: Nearby vegetation and spiderweb inside counter was moving in front of sensor and causing false counts
  • Recommendation: monitor counts to see if they have returned to normal

Attached are the full report and executive summary of the Campus Building Waste Characterization & Opportunity Assessment conducted by the ISTC.

Campus Building Waste Characterization & Opportunity Assessment Full Report

Morgan White, Sarthak Prasad, and Quinn Connolly met with Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francsico, and Sterling Laylock to discuss HVAC projects. Below are notes from the meeting:

Techlink: Contaminant Flow Calculator and Intelligent HVAC

• Attended by - Sarthak Prasad, Morgan White, Sterling Laylock, Mark Ginsberg, Paul Francisco, and Quinn Connolly
• Introductions
  
  • Mark talked about the research
    
    • Partial differential equation
    • Solve issues using the software
• Sterling is going to facilitate the meeting
  
  • Intelligent HVAC systems patent from Mark Ginsberg
  • License the patent
  • So people can do more using that
  • Synergy with University of Illinois and RPC's ICRT
  • Campus as a Living Lab
• Morgan talked about the Safetraces project
  
  • Healthy environments for the users - during covid
  • SL connected with students
  • SL and Carl Tutt put together a funding application for SSC in collab with students
  • We don’t have a bucket of funding for these types of project
  • We would like to do another building on campus
    
    • Using the knowledge with Mark Ginsberg
  • The Building Envelope project for Transportation Building
    
    • This building is on the list of improvements
    • Blow-door tests
    • SSC project
• MW asked what kind of opportunities there might be using Mark's technology?
  
  • Asked SL to start first
    
    • There is going to be a follow up
    • SL is going to make a recommendation to the Governor's Office
    • Seems that the Governor's office don’t have all the information - so they are asking for it now
    • It will directly benefit the private companies
    • The SB253 and SB 261 - The California Environmental reporting updates starting soon
      
      • Marsh McClennan is working on this
    • London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and one more stock exchange
    • Marsh McClennan Company to make contact with us - to help with this Environment reporting
      
      • Can be a good collaboration opportunity
      • Use of the Techlink technology
    • This company's work will not only help California's State Environmental reporting, but also extend to Illinois'
  • Demonstrate the software on university buildings?
    
    • SL - There is a version
      
      • Is there an intelligent HVAC in the building
      • MG - EPA is building a simulator at some point
        
        • A building inside the building
    • MG - The patent takes several years to go through
      
      • It was awarded at the same time as Covid
      • It was filed when Anthrax issue
    • MG - Trying on campus-
      
      • The instruction is simple for students
      • One - Solution exist
        
        • Contaminated person going to hospital don’t cause superspreader event all the time…
      • Recommendations-
        
        • Replace the air filter frequently
        • Keep the fan on
      • Single family house - taking HVAC from Auto to on (fan) -
        
        • $18 per month investment
        • Researched some time ago
      • You don’t want somebody downwind of someone
      • Buildings where this technology can be easily deployed?
        
        • Transportation Building?
        • Classrooms -
    • How would someone do the assessment?
      
      • Are you getting enough air changes per hour?
      • Are you leaving the builidng's air/fan on when the building is occupied?
        
        • Turn it off after 6 pm or when everybody leaves
    • The calculation of the consequence is - Advanced UG or Early Grad student could do it
• SL - Licensing for the technology
  
  • Small business could use this technology - Phase 2?
  • Phase 1 -
    
    • Proof of business model?
• MG -
  
  • By U of I standard - everything is siting on soft money
  • Nation wide hunt for the tech transfer for his product, and perhaps monetize them
  • MG can keep SL informed but that is how he wants to go
    
    • Nation wide search himself or hire a specialist
    • Big candidate
      
      • Big HVAC companies
      • Architecture/Architecture Design companies
        
        • Benteley Software- company
  • The prospect of
    
    • What is considered a starter and non-starter
• There is not a direct benefit to MG?
  
  • We want to see if we can pay for MG
  • We don’t want to just do this for students to get some experience, we want to learn about the campus and campus buildings too…
• MG - in terms of monetizing, it is not dependent on if U of I could get some money in the door
• MW - Which type of buildings?
  
  • We have some students in Masters in Energy Planning
  • Leon Liebenberg
  • SSC funding - 1 year project
  • Energy efficiency and Air quality
  • We need to make sure that there is someone other than SP and MW advising the students
  • Campus side
    
    • Students/researchers - propose something they want to do
    • We want to know what would be helpful
• MG - He has been cooperating with some professors there
  
  • He will work with some professors who are here currently
  • Right verbiage
  • What I want vs what would fit in student's education
  • Ty Newell - Horizon House
  •  
• PF - IHSI might be a good connection also
  
  • Toni Jacobi or Craig Bradshaw
  • Craig Bradshaw is the head of ACRC
• MW - What we are trying to offer
  
  • We can help with if we are allowed to use a building for this project
  • Introducing people in faculty and researchers
• MW - Would you like to do a demonstration project on U of I campus?
  
  • Yes
  • He will talk to a few people and he will get back to us.
• We want to start with a small building - Atmospheric Building
• MG - we can work with some office spaces
  
  • Not classroom heavy spaces
  • Preferred - Office heavy spaces - some classrooms in the same building are fine
  • Noyes Lab - complicated
  • AITS building
  • Levis Center
  • Orchard Downs
  • North of Green street
  • Transportation Building
  • TBH or Mumford Hall
  • MEL
  • Maybe one of the PRI surveys
  • Formerly SEDAC building
• Not comfortable with locations with a lot of people at the same time
• Maybe get together with MG a couple of times a year to maybe tour these places
• MG - will send a summary email as well

• Circle back every two weeks?
  
  • SP will schedule the follow up meeting -
    
    • Next virtual and then following could be site visits
  • Maybe a site visit as well

Created with OneNote.

Eco-Counter data for the month of July, 2025 collected on August 4, 2025.

The proposed project for a solar array at the Speech and Hearing building was deemed canceled due to the design study which found the roof unable to hold the solar array, as well as an informal shade assessment which found that the panels would not get all day sun due to the existing buildings.

Please see below a conversation between Morgan White, Jen Frattergio, and Paul Foote regarding this project:

On January 26, 2024 Paul said:

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

Hello Jen,

I hope you are having an enjoyable Friday!

I have a quick question, Marth, Aman and I did a quick assessment of the Speech and Hearing bldg. for rooftop solar array and found it to be a poor source for solar insolation due to the Psychology bldg.. shadowing over it for the morning hours and

then there are some trees that block summer sun to the north and west as well.

We are tasked with submitting an IL Green Fund (SSC) application for this project and I am wondering if there is a reason this location was chosen and/or can we select another location that may produce higher outputs from the sola array?

Here is the charge language: Develop and submit an application to IL Green Fund (SSC) for rooftop Solar on Speech and Hearing Sciences Building in collaboration with stakeholders.

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

Jen forwarded the inquiry to Morgan White and Stacey DeLorenzo:

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

Hi Morgan and Stacey,

See below for a question from Paul and the Energy Team.

Morgan, you had suggested the team apply for funding from the IL Green Fund (SSC) for rooftop solar on the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building. What was the reasoning behind this recommendation? Is a tool used or an analysis done to identify suitable buildings for installations?

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

Morgan replied:

Hi Jen,

Just to close the loop on this old question from 1.5 years ago…  There was an analysis of large roofs that could potentially be retrofitted with solar.  Many of the large roofs are made with gypsum board which is not strong enough for panels, and the remainder would require a structural analysis.  Someone said the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building was retrofitted with a different lower-weight type of insulation which should make it viable to handle the weight of solar panels.  We did an in-house assessment with F&S Design Services, and it was found that the roof could hold the weight of the panels.  Then the Student Sustainability Committee funded a full design, which was completed and is on the iCAP Portal / in F&S records.  The iCAP Energy Team pointed out that the new high-rises around the facility block a lot of the sunlight, so the project was essentially cancelled.  I think it would still be helpful to do a shade study for the building, and potentially it could have a green roof on it.  It is very visible from the Hub (one of the highrises nearby), so it could be a visible sign of our climate action.