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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects

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  2. Update from Ben McCall

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Parking Master Plan
    F&S Sustainable Fleet Plan
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Support the MTD Bus System

    Dear Transportation SWATeam,  [Sorry for the barrage of emails...this is the last one for this morning!]

    I met with Michelle Wahl from Parking late last week, and she had some very useful comments on the iCAP draft that I thought I should share with you:

    1) She mentioned that in years past, she used to receive "idling reports" on her vehicles, which must have been equipped with some sort of system that tracked when the vehicles were idling.  This raised the question of whether such technology could be deployed widely on our fleet, rather than focusing only on "class 6 and above trucks" (neither of us knew exactly what that means).

    2) She was concerned about the financial aspects of providing additional opportunities for people to purchase less than full-time parking privileges in lots with wait lists...this is probably something that deserves further discussion.  If Parking allows someone to drop their full-time parking pass for a particular lot and instead purchase less than full-time for the same spot, their revenue will decrease.  This is concerning because Parking is legally required to be self-supporting -- they cannot receive any subsidy from campus, nor can they make a profit.

    3) She recommended adding a recommendation that parking rates be increased to provide a dis-incentive for single-occupancy vehicle use. 

    This would also be essential if the number of parking permits sold were to decrease, as Parking's costs are essentially fixed. Raising rates would be a challenge because they are subject to collective bargaining, but it has been successfully done on other campuses (including UIC). 

    Having an explicit call for this in the iCAP might help provide ammunition for such efforts.

    4) She recommended some investigation of the subsidy that Parking currently provides to MTD.  At present, Parking pays over $500K per year for this, ostensibly to support the buses that run to the "shuttle lot" (E-14, I think).  But this amount greatly exceeds the total revenue that Parking receives from selling permits in the shuttle lot.  She thought it was worth making sure that the amount Parking is contributing towards the MTD is the appropriate amount, because any funds that could be "saved" there could be directed towards other sustainability-related initiatives within Parking.

    5) She pointed out that there are now 18 "Level 1" charging stations for electric vehicles on campus, and Parking has plans to install some "Level 2" charging stations in 2015.  She thought it might be worth showcasing this work on page 29 of the current draft, and I am inclined to agree.

    Cheers,

    Ben

  3. Update from Ben McCall

    Associated Project(s): 
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm

    Dear Tim,

    Some bad news to report.  The Revolving Loan Fund committee elected to defer consideration of the funding for the biomass boiler, because they were concerned that the operational and maintenance issues were not yet worked out.  This is not as bad of news as I first thought, because the RLF process is going to be revamped in the spring to be more of a "rolling deadline" process, so we should be able to go back to them sometime in the spring and get a quick response.

    Given the delay in RLF funding, it seems to make sense to delay our proposal to ICECF until July.  Another important consideration here is that the North Campus Parking Deck Solar project is evidently going to apply to ICECF in January, and there is at least some concern about submitting two proposals from campus in the same round.  Yet another consideration is that upon reviewing the ICECF form, we noticed that they are looking for a well-developed educational plan...and we have not really spent any time working on that.

    So I'm afraid we are in a bit of limbo here, until we get the O&M issues resolved and the MOU with F&S finalized. Hopefully we can tackle that in January, so that we're ready to go back to RLF as soon as their process re-opens.

    At least we've finally made great headway on the engineering work, and will have some real budgetary numbers to work with soon...!

    Cheers,

    Ben

     

  4. Climate Change issues

    Associated Project(s): 
    LAS Honors College - Sustainability Partners [ARCHIVED]
    Independent Student Projects

    Congzhu Ruan's report on Climate Change issues - part one.  Part two will be produced in Spring 2015.  She said, "Here is the draft of the report,it basically covers all the points but I plan to do some editing (to correct typos and grammar if there's some, perhaps add some new points if I find some!) this winter to make it better."

    Attached Files: 

  5. Final CEE 398 Fall 2014 reports

    Associated Project(s): 
    CEE Project Based Learning (PBL)
    Independent Student Projects
    • Evaluation of Implementing Low-Flow Toilets in University Buildings and Associated Economic and Environmental Benefits
    • Feasibility Study of Green Walls at the University of Illinois
    • Evaluating Greywater Usage at the BIF in Replacement for Potable Water in Toilets
    • Powering Up E-14: A Feasibility Study on Implementing Solar Panels as Parking Coverage
    • Feasibility of Introducing LEED Lab at the University of Illinois
    Attached Files: 

  6. Community Resources Inc interested in partnering with iSEE

    Associated Project(s): 
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program [ARCHIVED]

    On 12/03/2014 03:06 PM, Bartels, Bart A wrote:

    Hi Everyone,

    I just concluded a conversation with Matt Snyder of Community Resource Inc (CRI).  He is very interested in housing a densifier.  I am going to set up a meeting with him to work out the details and get pricing.  This is going to be the proposal based on his interests and our needs:

    Participating buildings will have a Gaylord on the dock for EPS dropoff.  CRI will pick up the gaylords and take the material to their facility, where the densifier or compactor will be housed.  Matt will take care of paying the labor for pick-ups, processing, and sales.  He will be paid out of the sales revenue with part of the revenue coming back to us.  The money coming back will pay for interns that will facility more EPS collection.  The meeting will determine responsibilities and how the revenue will be divided. 

    I am hopeful that we can work out acceptable terms.  Matt wants to make this work.  He said he shipped out a truck load of EPS this morning, even though it didn’t make sense.  I will let you know when the meeting is to take place.

    Bart

  7. Dining ships another gaylord full of gloves

    Associated Project(s): 
    Glove Recycling

    Dear all,

    Michael at Housing  just got another Gaylord full of gloves ready to ship at dining services. Making the total pounds of gloves recycled at Dining to over 1000lbs in just four months!

    Way to go all!!

    Regards,

    Shantanu

  9. Working Bikes donation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Michelle,

    This Saturday we removed 390 bicycles from the warehouse.  Of the bikes we planned to ship to Ghana 60 or 70 did not fit into the shipping container.  I am arranging for Working Bikes to come down in a few weeks and pick these up.  I do not have a date yet.  I will let you know as soon as I can confirm details.  There are also about 60 good bikes that I will transfer from the warehouse to the bike center.  I will work with Tina and the other parking employees to get this done.

    Thanks,

    James Roedl

  10. ISTC newsletter update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Medicine Take-Back Program [ARCHIVED]

    Nitrile Hypoallergenic Gloves

    Students Provide Brain Power to Keep Old Medicines Out of Waterways

    A fall course at the University of Illinois is preparing a team of students to educate local college and high school students about the proper disposal of old pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The class, led by colleagues at the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program working with Wei Zheng and Nancy Holm of ISTC, is one component of the grant titled "PPCPs: Extending Knowledge and Mitigation Strategies” that began in July as a partnership with U of I Extension and ISTC. The students are learning that how we choose to use and dispose of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) affects water quality. They are studying the impact of the many compounds – some of which are bioactive or toxic – that enter the environment, including from improper disposal. Part of the university’s Learning in Community program (LINC), the students are gaining practical work experience developing outreach materials to educate the public about PPCPs as well as marketing and advertising campaigns to emphasize the importance of disposing unwanted medicines in secure collection boxes at area police stations.

     

  11. Biomass Consultation Group

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam [ARCHIVED]
    Biomass use on Campus

    Dear Energy Enthusiasts,

    Thanks to all who attended the first Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) biomass meeting, we are off with a strong start. This week we we will have the second consultation group meeting to carry on discussion and orient goals toward improving sustainability on campus. 

    Dong Kook will present on the most recent publications from the research group of Praveen Kumar in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His topic for discussion will be Threshold Dynamics in Soil Carbon Storage for Bioenergy Crops. Click (here) to become familiar with their group's work.   

    We are gathering all interested persons to discuss the possibilities for a large-scale biomass facility that could eventually replace Abbott Power Plant. All ideas are welcome. Please pass this invitation on to anyone you think might be interested.

     

     

    Meeting details:

    Time: Tuesday, November 18 from 1:00pm-2:30pm

    Location: iSEE Conference room #358

                     National Soybean Research Center (directions here)

                     1101 W. Peabody Drive

                     Urbana, IL 61801

     

    Thanks and have a great weekend.

     

    Nathan Wells

  12. accounting update from Mike M.

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

    I have realigned the way we account for projects in AiM, so each RLF will need to have a specific  AiM account number that maps to a banner plant fund.  As soon as I can transfer the open work orders off of MY862-Revolving Loan Fund, I will inactivate that account number.

    So, each new RLF project will need a Banner Plant Account number (I obtain) and a new AiM account number (mee, too.) then I will let the PM know so he/she can set up work orders.  This way, it keeps project costs segregated.  Putting it all into one account like I did initially dumps all project costs into one AiM account making it hard to keep the expenditures separate.  - Mike

  14. Workorder to paint the container lids

    Associated Project(s): 
    Recycling for the Quad

    Work Request 163801 converted to Work Order 10329198

    Work Order: 10329198

    Building: 0206 - ILLINOIS SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY CNTR

    Room:

    Department Reference: SSC Quad Recycl

    Customer Description:

    Shop - Painting & Signs:

    Per conversations between Bart Bartels, David Middleton (Paint Shop Foreman), & Sean Cassidy (Sign Shop) - Sandblast and prep trash bin lids from Quad (40) and recently purchased trash bins (20); Add new vinyl lettering signs to prepared trash bin lids (Bart will work with you on the design and wording).

    Rough estimate provided to Bart - $3000 for sandblasting & painting; $1500 for new signage.

    Phases:

    Phase: 001 PAINTERS

    Phase: 002 SIGN SHOP

  15. Housing receives recycling bin from Max-R

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Appropriate Waste Collection Infrastructure

    Housing took advantage of the Free Bin Friday promotional event from Max-R, to design a uniquely branded outdoor recycling container. Although it is currently being displayed inside SDRP, it has generated a lot of conversation across campus. The day it arrived, multiple students expressed their approval of the bin and appreciation for an increased focus on recycling by the University.

    Bryan Johnson, Project Manager, PMP

     

    Attached Files: 

  16. Step 1 Proposal Received

    Associated Project(s): 
    Japan House and Arboretum Bicycle Parking

    Japan House and the University of Illinois Arboretum request funding to provide bike racks. Although the Arboretum and Japan House are administered separately (Japan House through the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and the Arboretum through ACES, Japan House sits within the Arboretum and the two units often collaborate on projects.    There are currently no available bike racks in the 57-acre Arboretum and Japan House grounds. Japan House is the site of University classes and the Arboretum is frequently used as a resource for classes from units such as Landscape Architecture,  Crops Sciences, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and others. In addition, the Arboretum and the Japan House Gardens are a major recreational resource for Illinois students, faculty and staff, and yet currently, there is no bike parking or encouragement for students, faculty and staff to bike to reach these grounds. Currently, bikers are forced to lock bikes to benches, lampposts, trees, and other structures inappropriate for this use and sometimes permanently damaging to the trees or structures. The Japan House offices are located at the site and students routinely ask where they should lock up their bikes.   Funding is requested for the installation of two six-loop bike racks mounted on sufficient permeable pavement for easy access and grounds maintenance and relating biking policy signage.  

    Attached Files: 

  17. Note on iCAP 2015 objective 3.1

    Associated Project(s): 
    Explore Options for 100 Percent Clean Campus Energy

    Objective 3.1 is for the SWATeam to lead an exploration of options for 100% clean energy and submit recommendations. F&S staff workload is too high to handle the exploration of options, so F&S will provide data and provide comments. Ben McCall and Scott Willenbrock will develop a plan for how to achieve carbon neutrality. They will make a document with potential options, pros, cons, and costs. 

  19. ISTC Water Audit webinar

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Conservation [ARCHIVED]
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam [ARCHIVED]

    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Water Audit Webinar – Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (web only)

    “Water Use and Conservation on Illinois College Campuses: The Ripple Effect”

    The Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) are partnering to train college faculty and staff to conduct water audits on their campuses, increasing knowledge about water on college campuses, and furthering ISTC’s goal of reducing water consumption in Illinois by One Billion Gallons. To do so, IGEN and ISTC will implement a three-phase program. In the first phase of the program, IGEN will cohost a webinar with ISTC to educate interested colleges on the basics of water audits. The webinar will cover the following information:

    • Details of what a comprehensive water audit encompasses: the built environment, the campus landscaping, and the local topography/watershed;
    • Where to find specific information on water use on a college campus: what bills, what departments have information, what is metered, etc.;
    • Potential benefits of water audits: how to save money, water, and energy, and the environmental impacts; and
    • Overview of the next phases of the program and how to participate.

    Speakers will be: Megan Chery, Manager of Alliance for Water Efficiency; Aaron Dunbaugh, Director of Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago; and Michelle Maddaus, Founder and Civil Engineer with Maddaus Waste Management.

    Please register to attend the webinar at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/154690976. For additional information visit http://www.igencc.org/node/1115.

    In the second phase of the program, IGEN and ISTC will arrange regional training sessions at several Illinois community colleges to train stakeholders on how to conduct a comprehensive water audit on campus. In the third phase of the program, colleges will conduct water audits on their campuses and make recommendations that will reduce water consumption and apply for grants to implement the projects.

    ISTC is a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  20. audit plan for Recycling for the Quad

    Associated Project(s): 
    Recycling for the Quad

    Hi Ryan,

    Shantanu and I were discussing the waste audits on the quad.  If you agree, we would like the plan to go as follows:

    1.  On Tuesday morning we we like to place liners in the bins, just after they are emptied by your crew.  

    2.  On Wednesday morning we would like to pull each of the bags and take them to ISTC for weighing and auditing.  Your crew will not have to pick up the waste from the 45 bins on that day.  We will make sure the waste and recycling are taken to the Waste Transfer Station.

    3.  On Thursday your crew returns to empty the bins and we will again add liners shortly thereafter.

    4.  On Friday we will conduct the second audit so your crew will not have to make a pick up that day either.  Again we will take the material to ISTC and then drop it off at the Waste Transfer Station.  

    5.  On Saturday everything returns to normal. 

    I hope that sounds OK with you.  If so, please let me know what time would be the best to add liners to the bins.

    Thanks,

    Bart

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