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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects

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  2. Archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0

    Construction of a new 54-acre, 12.1 megawatt (MWdc) Solar Farm has been approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees as the sole member of Prairieland Energy, Inc. Referred to as "Solar Farm 2.0," the new utility-scale array will be located north of Curtis Road, between First Street and Dunlap Avenue in Savoy. Solar Farm 2.0 will produce approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours per year (MWh/year), nearly tripling the university’s existing on-site renewable energy generation. Completion of this project will then grant the University of Illinois with the title of being the third-largest user of renewable power generated on-site for all higher education facilities in the entire country.

    Project Inception

    In April 2017, the Energy Sustainability Working Advisory Team (SWATeam) recommended that to increase our campus’ generation of solar power, either an extension should be built onto the original Solar Farm or additional solar panels be installed across campus rooftops. From there, the idea of Solar Farm 2.0 was born. In November of that same year, the Sustainability Council approved the concept of this new solar farm, and a site selection was completed during spring 2018. 

    In the summer of 2018, after discussions with our neighbors in Savoy, the Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee approved the location, and a request for proposals was initiated. Different vendors from across the nation submitted proposals and various designs for this new solar farm, with nineteen submissions in total. By May of 2019, Sol Systems of Washington, D.C. was chosen to complete the project. A twenty-year contract was negotiated, and the overall project is on track to be completed by the end of 2020.

    Project Overview

    Sol Systems will be responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance for Solar Farm 2.0, and like Solar Farm 1.0, the Urbana campus will use all the generated power.  The $20.1M contract is anticipated to save the university $300,000 in the farm’s first year compared to electricity purchased from the wholesale MISO market. Prairieland Energy will buy the solar energy at a fixed rate of $45.99 per MWh, while the University of Illinois will receive the associated renewable energy certificates (RECs) and the right to claim the use of clean energy.

    Pollinator Habitat

    Other innovative features of Solar Farm 2.0 include the incorporation of a pollinator habitat located beneath the panels. Indigenous plants will be planted throughout the farm to welcome local and migratory birds and insects. Specifically targeted towards butterflies and bees, Solar Farm 2.0 will be a welcoming environment for wildlife, as well as being a demonstration site for meeting the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act. A landscaped buffer will also be included in the final design of Solar Farm 2.0, creating visual screening of the solar panels along the south edge of the farm bordering Savoy.

  3. Campus Bike Center added as a Shield pick-up location - Available from August 24, 2020

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Registration
    Campus Bike Center

    Campus Bike Center (51 E Gregory Dr., Champaign, IL 61820. Phone number: 217-300-4638) was added as the Shield pick-up location. Sarthak Prasad dropped off 250 Shields at the location to be picked up by bicycle users. This location will be available for Shield pick up from August 24, 2020. Due to the pandemic, the CBC will only accept visitors who make an appointment beforehand, so please call in ahead to more information. The Shields will be distributed at the front desk of the CBC's new location.

    We will replensih the Shields as needed.

  5. Campus Bike Center is moving!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    The Campus Bike Center is moving to a new location! The move is currently in progress while the shop is closed due to the pandemic. The Campus Bike Center will re-open on August 24, 2020, and they will only accept visitors on appointments. You can call in ahead at 217-300-4638 or create an appointment online - appointment system is under development. We will share the online appointment link as soon as the system is ready.

    The new address for CBC is: 51 E Gregory Dr., Champaign, IL 61820.

  7. The Day After Tomorrow: Following Advancements of the New U of I Solar

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Solar Farm 1.0
    Press releases about specific projects
    Climate Justice Forum - 2020 [ARCHIVED]
    Resilience Commitment
    Bee Campus USA

    CUYSS Team|8/5/2020

    The Youth Climate Justice Forum presents this podcast series in which we will be trying to find ways for all of us to continue to work for climate justice during and after the coronavirus crisis. This week, Caroline and Grace interview Morgan White, Director of Sustainability at University of Illinois Facilities and Services. They are currently working to construct the University’s newest solar farm, building upon what they learned from their last solar project.

    https://youthclimateforum.wixsite.com/summit/podcast/episode/f942d20f/the-day-after-tomorrow-following-advancements-of-the-new-u-of-i-solar-farm

  9. Archive - Description and Background of the Bicycle Registration project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Registration

    Description:

    Bicycle registration is primarily a method to assist with returning stolen or lost bikes when they are recovered by Public Safety or Facilities & Services.  Bicycle registration is offered for free to faculty, staff, and students at the University of Illinois, and can conveniently be completed online at http://go.illinois.edu/mybike.

    In September 2013, the University will be adopting new stickers for bicycle registration, and all registered bike owners will be contacted with instructions on how to receive their new sticker. 

    To register your bicycle, visit http://go.illinois.edu/mybike

    Background:

    The benefits of registering your bicycle include:

    • It deters theft
    • It helps the UIPD reconnect bicycle owners with their lost or stolen bikes
    • You can be contacted if your bicycle is impounded or mistaken for abandoned
    • It helps the University to better plan for bicycles and bicycle infrastructure
    • It allows the University to communicate with bicyclists for important bicycle-related announcements

  13. Collaborating with ISU to develop Virtual Tours

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Solar Farm 1.0
    ISEIF grants

    Matt Hagamann from Illinois State University (ISU) is leading a team to develop a Virtual Tour of the University of Illinois Solar Farms. In a July 2020 email, he explained:

    "Our project is funded through the Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation, whose goal is to "address the human and community sides of energy and the electric grid," in our case through energy literacy programs.  Our current programs reach up to 25,000 students each year, but we're working on some digital resources which we hope will expand our impact.

     

    The digital project I would like to collaborate with your office on is a virtual reality project, where we expose students to technology, sustainability, and careers through an immersive experience.  We're targeting both a full VR experience as well as a more limited experience designed for smartphones.

     

    Our goal is to help students explore someplace they wouldn't normally have access to, in this case a solar farm.  After recording some footage using a 360-degree camera, we can let students explore that environment, read some virtual signage, then "tap" some workers on the shoulder in order to learn more about their job."

     

     

  17. Bicycle Registration is available now!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Registration
    Bike at Illinois Website and Campaign

    Bicycle Registration was open for public on July 20, 2020. Currently due to the pandemic, all Shield pick-up locations are closed, so for those who register and want the 529 Shield now, they must contact bike@illinois.edu to arrange for a time and place to collect the Shield. Otherwise, Sarthak Prasad would reach out to them when the Shield pick-up locations are open.

  18. Fall 2020 sale cancelled

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    The YMCA provided this update for the fall 2020 sale. "After talking it over as a staff and board, we have decided not to hold the sale in August.  Our decision was based largely on three main factors: (1) health and safety concerns for volunteers and shoppers.  In particular, we were concerned that a majority of our regular August volunteers are older.  There were also concerns about the processes we would need to follow for proper sanitation of donated items (2) uncertainty about occupancy restrictions and the risk of the event becoming a source of virus spread in the community and (3)  uncertainty around availability of the Stock Pavilion or other comparable site for the sale (though this was very low on the list)."

  19. Mailbag solar article: Suggestion for UI solar panels

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus
    Solar Farm 1.0
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Rooftop Solar Potential
    ECE Rooftop Solar PVs
    BIF Rooftop Solar PVs
    Uni High Gym Rooftop Solar PVs
    Solar Thermal at ARC
    Wassaja Hall Rooftop Solar PVs

    "Why doesn't the company installing the solar panels at U of I put them over the parking lot? I would provide shade for the cars underneath and would eliminate having to kill whatever would be underneath them in the fields."

    The best option for building solar panels is ground-mounted, said Morgan White, the associate director for sustainability at the University of Illinois.

    "As part of our Climate Leadership Commitments the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a goal of producing at least 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year from on-campus solar," she said. "When we evaluated options for meeting this goal, rooftop solar, solar over parking areas, and ground-mounted solar were all considered. The most cost-effective option is ground-mounted solar, and it also allows for larger-scale installations.

    "For a sense of the scale, the two solar farms will be a total of 75 acres, while the largest parking lot on campus is less than 15 acres.

    "When installing solar panels over parking areas, there are additional infrastructure and labor costs to raise the solar panels above the ground level. Although we do not currently have any solar over parking areas, Facilities & Services is working with the Parking Department to evaluate potential locations for a pilot installation. We are also continuing to install rooftop solar on individual buildings."

    Solar panels are on the following five Urbana campus buildings:

    — Business Instructional Facility

    — the Activities & Recreation Center

    — Wassaja Residence Hall

    — University High School Gymnasium

    — Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building.

    "I'd also like to emphasize that the ground-mounted solar panels do not harm the plants under them. After building the first Solar Farm, we learned that there was an excellent opportunity for growing useful plants under and around the panels," said White. "This is a great opportunity for creating a multi-functional ecosystem, with pollinator supportive plants and protected areas for small animals and insects."

    https://www.news-gazette.com/toms-mailbag/toms-mailbag-june-26-2020/article_65ef2976-09b9-526a-848d-1419c905b0ec.html

     

  20. Curtis Road landscaping

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Bee Campus USA
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Tom's Mailbag in the News-Gazette included information about the Solar Farm 2.0 landscape buffer: https://www.news-gazette.com/toms-mailbag/toms-mailbag-june-19-2020/article_ddf7f640-1c32-5024-98b0-74d8f4ecaa7e.html

    Curtis Road landscaping

    "Curtis Road from Neil Street and First Street in Savoy,  why are they planting several rows of tree and bushes?

    The work underway in that location is for a landscaped buffer between the University of Illinois' Solar Farm 2.0 site and the village of Savoy, said Morgan White, associate director for sustainability at the University of Illinois.

    "Since the start of the project, the university has incorporated the feedback of nearby residents and businesses in planning aspects to ensure that area is aesthetically pleasing and limits the future visibility of the array directly from Curtis Road," she said. "The buffer was designed by the University Landscape Architect at Facilities & Services, Brent Lewis, and it consists of native trees, shrubs and perennials specifically selected for their aesthetics and pollinator benefits.

    "The trees were funded by the Student Sustainability Committee, and the remaining costs were provided by Facilities & Services and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.

    "This extensive buffer planting, along with the 54 acres of native perennials and grasses under the solar panels, will help to establish a diverse pollinator habitat and strengthen ecosystems for local and migratory birds and insects, including butterflies and bees. This effort supports the university's commitment as a 'Bee Campus USA,' proving progress in awareness, native plant landscapes, and safe pest management.

    "When completed, the site will also serve as a demonstration for pollinator-friendly solar arrays, following the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act, of which the university has taken the lead in creating."

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