Attached are photos from geothermal drilling which will help power the new Wymer hall.

 

Hello all,

 

See attached the notes from our meeting. Happy holidays and happy new year! Thank you,

Sarthak

Hi everyone,

 

Getting these meetings scheduled for the next semester.

 

Sterling, does this time at 1:30-2 work for you? I will alter the time slot if needed.

 

Thanks,

 

Quinn M. Connolly

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Hi Quinn,

 

Yes, 1:30-2:00pm works fine for me.

 

Also, now that you're added our Google Drive please feel free to take a look at the content folders and comment. If you prefer to email me your questions privately, you can do that as well.

 

Over the holiday I plan to set up a similar Google Drive for us as iCAP Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control as well.

 

Hi Sarthak + Morgan,

 

Leon Liebenberg is on the top of my list to answer his questions regarding engineering student participation and SSC.

 

Thank you for being patient with us up until now and rest assured that it will all be worth the journey!

 

Have a happy and safe holiday!

 

Thanks, Sterling

Steph and I have been sending ideas on this back and forth for a few days. Wanted to share it as a starting point for our discussion this afternoon.

 

 

Training software - $1000

Swag - $2000

Professional development travel: $4500

Student help: $20,000

Salary: $65,000-$75,000

Food, shirts, recognition: $5,000

Computer, telecom, supplies, PPE, transportation: $1,500

Web presence (link to iCAP portal): $15,000

Total ~$114,000-$124,000

 

Additional considerations

• If soft money, will need to fund fully burdened salary.
• Contingency, escalation and inflation.
• How will materials for initiatives be funded? Initial initiatives include shut the sash stickers, GRP branded equipment timers (swag item, departmental/lab purchase), and reduce/reuse/recycle equipment (shelves, etc.).
• What about new initiatives/pilot programs? Will GRC need to perform costs-benefit analysis and secure funding through other means (e.g., SSC) or include a budget line. For a 5 year pilot this may be irrelevant

 -----------------------

Dear Jeremy and Stephanie,

 

Attached please find a draft budget, per our conversation yesterday.  Please let me know if I need to edit anything and please share the draft with Morgan for her input. 

 

Thanks,

 

Sharee

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

 

Sharee,

Thanks for putting this together! I think it looks good to me.

Jeremy- do you want to share with Morgan?

Steph

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

 

I checked with IT on computer costs. We are no longer charged for phone access. That went away with Skype. Here’s what I received for hardware costs:

 

For the laptop it's a 2880 dollar buy in with 60 dollars a month fees after meaning in 48 months it will pay for the next one. For desktop the structure is the same and is a 1680 dollar buy in with 35 dollar monthly fees. The monitors and dock are included in this cost in both cases (although of course there's no dock on a desktop)

 

I know I missed adding computer(s) for the students. Students are usually provided desktops. I’m guessing we have some in the building that share but in general each student has their own because schedules usually overlap somewhere. If there’s no objections I can add the initial purchase of 2 desktops to FY24 and increase the other years by $70ish to account for the monthly fees.

 

I also think we can probably lower the web presence costs in years 2-5. Maybe $5k in 2-5 for maintenance and minor customizations?

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

 

Jeremy,

 

Thank you for checking into the technology costs.  Your edits work for me. 

 

Sharee

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

Morgan provided comments on the revised budget asking that professional development for FY24 be removed and the full $5,000 for events/recognition in FY24 be included. Those changes along with the charges for computers have been addressed in the attached.

 

Thanks

Jeremy

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

 

Jeremy and Stephanie,

 

I hope you had a great holiday and weekend.  Thank you for providing the revised draft budget.  I don’t have any additional recommendations. I am meeting with Susan Martinis on Wednesday and will confirm the next steps with her.  I’m copying Patty Jones so that she has an opportunity to review the draft budget as well.

 

I’ll follow up with you both after I meet with Susan.

 

Thanks again,

 

Sharee

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

 

Dear Jeremy, Stephanie and Patty,

 

I met with Susan this afternoon and she supports moving forward with the draft budget.  Perhaps the four of us can meet to discuss the next steps with regards to pursuing contributions for the pilot. I’m not familiar with the SSC process.  Susan indicated that these funds should be pursued and that perhaps other units would be willing to contribute to the Pilot.

 

Thanks,

 

Sharee

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

 

I think we should include Morgan White in the discussion. Assuming funding is secured the program will fall under her and she is familiar with the SSC process and other potential funding sources.

 

Thanks

Jeremy

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

 

Thank you, Jeremy,

 

I am copying Jamie Willard to request her assistance in scheduling a 30-minute zoom call with the three of us and Morgan White to discuss the Green Research proposal.

 

Sharee

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

Good morning, All,

 

I have taken a look at calendars to schedule this 30-minute zoom meeting to discuss the next steps with regards to pursuing contributions for the pilot and the SSC process. There is not a clear time that everyone can get together so I am asking for you to fill out the doodle below and see if there is any flexibility to be able to schedule this before winter break.

 

Attendees:

Sharee Robinson

Patty Jones

Jeremy Neighbors

Stephanie Hess

Morgan White

 

 

Thank you for your time in this matter.

 

Best,

Jamie

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

Good afternoon,

 

My apologies on the delay of scheduling this meeting. I have talked to Sharee Robinson and she has confirmed that with the challenging calendars, this meeting can wait until after the winter break. I would like to schedule this zoom meeting for Monday, January 8th 10:30-11:00am.

 

Please let me know if this will not work for you at your earliest convenience. I will be sending an electronic invite with zoom link shortly.

 

Best,

Jamie

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

That works for me. Thanks for coordinating everything Jamie.

Jeremy Neighbors

Hi Andy and Fernando,

 

One of our key research partners for the Illinois Geothermal Coalition is Andy Stumpf (copied here).  He has asked if there are soil borings info for the Chicago campus.  Can you connect him with the right person?

 

“Hi Morgan, Do you have a contact at UIC who would have access to their geotech and soil boring records.. person similar to Beth. I have been asked to help out with the Solar Decathlon project because they are interested in adding geothermal to the design. They plan to design an educational design and innovation center that is on the UIC campus and would occupy the two parking lots at 1198 W Vernon Park PI Parking, Chicago, IL 60607. Soil boring/geotech information for nearby buildings could help the design. I am also mapping Cook County, so this information would also be useful for that project. Would also be interested to know if there are any major water lines in along Harrison Street or I-290. Maybe an opportunity to include wastewater heat recovery.”

 

Thanks!

Morgan

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

Hi Morgan,

 

Thanks for the introduction. Nice to meet you Fernando. I am going to find out from the students who they are working with at UIC.

 

Best,

Andy

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

 

Thanks, it may be Fernando (He is out of the office).

I can pull files related to the 2009 Geothermal wells, but it might help to have a specific question to circulate. IS this accurate: Does UIC have any records of Soil boring/geotech information from past geothermal well drilling?

Regarding water lines – best to assume every where on campus has some utilities under it.  There is likely water on Harrison and Racine,

 

Andy Mitchell 

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

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks for getting back to me. Actually, it would be possible to get access to or copies of the soil borings for all projects on UIC campus, not just the geothermal projects. The Illinois State Geological Survey maintains a database of geological, engineering geology, and geophysical information for the entire state. Here is snapshot for part of the UIC campus with engineering test hole delineated by the red dots and labeled by the total depth of the drilling. The data can be accessed through the ISGS’ ILWATER map service https://go.illinois.edu/ilwater. Currently, only the owner, location, and soil boring logs are available for most of the engineering borings, but we plan in the near future to provide access to the engineering geology data entered from the reports and if allowed by the owner/client a pdf of the scanned documents. The boring locations were digitized from the maps included in the reports or coordinates surveyed and provided with the logs. As Morgan knows, I am working with Facilities & Services here to digitize all the soil borings on our campus and provide them through the ILWATER map service. This effort is being funded as a student project that received a grant from the UIUC Student Sustainability Committee. If you are interested in having the UIC data served in a similar manner, let’s talk some more about how this is being done at UIUC. For much of the data the ISGS on the UIC campus came from research survey geologists or UIUC CEE faculty were involved with on the campus and from consultants involved in the project. Beyond the Illinois Solar Decathlon design project, this data is being compiled for the ISGS project to map the surface and subsurface geology of Cook and DuPage counties. This mapping is being done to update work that was done in the 1940s or early. The data is used to develop the maps and models of the geology which we make available to the public. Below is one of the cross sections we made this year for west to east cross section along Roosevelt Road. We plan by 2028 to have a 3D model of the geology available for Cook County. The mapping project is being funded by the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

Best.

Andy

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

 

Andy – this is exciting stuff and I’m confident we can share the records, once we locate them.

I’m out of the office most of next week, and Fernando is just back and will playing catch up.

When do you need this info by?

 

Andy Mitchell 

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

Hi Andy and Fernando,

 

Getting back to you about the geotech soil borings. I have shared with you the Box folder with the logs found so far. The logs in the files starting with “x” have been plotted and the information is available through the ISGS borings database https://go.illinois.edu/ilwater. The logs in the files starting with “g” have not been entered yet.

 

Best,

Andy

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

 

Thanks for the nudge Andy.

I’ll connect with our manager Dave Taeyaerts about the best way to go about getting this.

When do you need the info by?

 

Andy Mitchell 

14 campus events have been recognized by iSEE's Certified Green Events program this fall, and two fraternities were recertified Gold under the Certified Green Chapter program — Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and the Triangle Alpha Chapter. The events included: August — New Student Convocation, Gov. J.B. Pritzker Visit, Illinois Promise Lunch, Exchange & International Student Welcome Event, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visit, Dennis H. May Diversity Conference on Mental Health and Higher Education, ABA TechShow; September — CCFD Kick-off, Illinois News Broadcasters Association Reception, Men's Football Games (Suite and Pregame Events), 2023 Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Meeting; October — Illini Lights Out; November — weSTEM Conference, P&T Bookplate Reception.  

Hi Susan,

 

I hope this message finds you well after the holiday weekend. I wanted to reach out regarding the recent EPA notice of funding opportunity for the Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grant Program, which you may have already heard about. I attached the full notice of funding opportunity document to this email. The due date for applications is November 21, 2024. Community-based non-profits can partner with institutions of higher education on a collaborative project.

 

Track 1 applications, community-driven investments for change, covers a broad area of community conditions that could be assessed. One of the specific objectives covered is “reduce local pollution to improve public health.” I understand that building a HHW facility for the county would address pollutants that may otherwise end up improperly disposed of.

 

I just wanted to reach out and call your attention to this opportunity in case you hadn’t already heard about it. Do you think this could be useful for funding the HHW facility? If so, I’d certainly be interested in being involved!

 

Thank you,

Daphne

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

Hi Daphne, 

 

This is definitely the best email I've received recently!!!  OMG. CCES is potentially so very interested. 

I'll be reviewing this and will touch base with you ASAP.  

 

Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. 

 

Susan Monte

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

Hi Jen, Morgan, & Pete,

 

Exciting news – big EPA notice of funding opportunity just released from the IRA for $2B, applications due a year from now. Community-based non-profits can partner with institutions of higher education on an environment justice project. The Champaign County Environmental Stewards have been wanting to tackle our lack of household hazardous waste facility here in Champaign County for some time. This would be a huge win for campus waste, too. Depending on what we scour in the notice of funding opportunity document (i.e. assuming we are eligible), this would be something I’d like to explore pursuing with CCES.

 

Thank you,

Daphne

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

 

Hi Daphne,

 

I skimmed the RFP (here) and noticed a strong emphasis on environmental justice. The program objective is “redressing environmental and climate injustices for communities facing legacy pollution, climate change, and persistent disinvestment.”

 

I think iSEE /the Resilience team can help with a proposal. It would be a good idea for us to discuss how best to do this.

 

One immediate thought I had was whether we could combine a hazardous waste facility with a facility for waste-to-energy conversion and build in job/economic opportunities in the community much like the Green Era Campus in Chicago. It doesn’t need to be an anaerobic digestor (although we certainly have enough organic waste generated regionally to support one).

                                                             

Let me know what you think.

 

Jen

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

 

Hi Jen,

Good catch on the environmental justice piece. I like your line of thinking on how we can incorporate additional features into a HHW facility. I think it would be great to chat about this with the CCES and determine a shared direction. I’m waiting to hear back from Susan and would be happy to schedule this.

 

Thank you,

Daphne