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Project Updates for collection: Renewable Energy Projects

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  4. Join your neighbors getting solar PVs!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Urbana-Champaign

    Champaign and Piatt County home and business owners installing solar energy have triggered the second 1% discount in the Solar Urbana-Champaign program! The program makes it faster, easier, and more affordable to go solar by leveraging the power of volume purchasing, and a community-education campaign.

    https://mailchi.mp/urbanaillinois/announcement-solar-urbana-champaign-30...

  6. Capacity of distribution lines

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0

    U19005: Electrical-Medium Voltage Power Distribution Study Updates - should start in mid-September - to evaluate capacity of power distribution line connected to proposed solar farm 2.0 site.

  8. Feasibility study to be done

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at WPP

    Due to the complexity of this project, F&S recommended conducting a feasibility study before installation.  It is estiamted to cost approximately $10K and take about one month to complete.

  9. EUI at Fruit Farm Admin Building

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at the Fruit Farm Admin Building
    Energy Conservation Efforts

    Please see the attached Excel file for some Energy Use Intensity (MMBTU/GSF) and (kBTU/GSF) calculations for the Fruit Farm Admin Building.  I have also attached an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Technical Reference which gives numbers for average U.S. Energy Use Intensity by Property Type.  These numbers are given in kBTU/GSF for comparison.

     

    The good news is that the numbers have been decreasing from 2011 through 2017.  Since 2018 is not over yet it would not be fair to count that number, but from 2011 through 2017 the energy use intensity appears to have decreased to about half of its starting value!  The numbers range from about 299 MMBTU/GSF to about 153 MMBTU/GSF (about 45 kBTU/GSF to about 23 kBTU/GSF). 

     

    If you look in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager document, the UIUC Fruit Farm is on par with a small retail office (at the higher EUI levels from 2011) to a warehouse or other unoccupied space (at the lower EUI levels from more recent data).  This may be an indication of the level of activity of the facility, or it may just reflect the fact that you are getting a lot of geothermal energy (three to four units of geothermal energy for every one unit of electricity).  If you look in the table you will see that a laboratory is listed as 78.8 kBTU/GSF, which is about 3.5 times the 2017 calculated value of 23 kBTU/GSF for the Fruit Farm.

     

    Please note that the numbers I am comparing the Fruit Farm to are the site energy numbers in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager document, which reflect the amount of energy you are using at the site (meter readings).  Source energy numbers are higher and include losses due to energy conversion and distribution from where the energy was originally generated (likely a coal or natural gas plant in Illinois).

    - Frank Holcomb

    Attached Files: 

  10. Capacity of Solar PVs for shed roof

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar PVs at Idea Garden

    The solar PV design for the rooftop of the Idea Garden shed is 12 panels with 340 Watts each, which is a total of 4.08 kWdc. The construction estimate is in progress at F&S, then an interconnect agreement will be needed from Ameren.

  12. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Urbana-Champaign

    The City of Urbana has partnered with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) and the Grow Solar Partnership to coordinate a second solar group buy in Champaign County, building on the success of Solar Urbana-Champaign, which took place from December 2015 through June of 2016. The advantage of a group buy is the power of volume purchasing, which can significantly reduce the up-front costs of installing solar on your home or business. You do not need to be a City of Urbana resident to participate – the group buy is open to all Champaign County residents and business owners.

  14. capacity question for rooftop solar

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar PVs at Idea Garden

    The annual usage of electricity at the Idea Garden shed is much lower than the proposed solar array will provide.  Because this building is currently powered by Ameren and not connected to the campus electrical grid, there will be a loss of any kilowatt-hours not used during the course of one year. 

  15. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar PVs at Idea Garden

    The Master Gardeners are interested in adding rooftop solar PVs to the garden shed to the east of the Idea Garden in the Arboretum. The Idea Garden is a community garden planned, managed and maintained by the Champaign County Master Gardener volunteers.

    The accompanying map shows the layout of the garden, The solar panels would be installed at shed (A) and provide power to building. The power grid would be extended to the garden to power light fixtures and outlets at sites B1-B4, C and D. Remodeling of the Idea Garden to provide access for people with disabilities is scheduled to begin in 2016, so this would be an opportune time to install underground cables. A small parking lot is also to be built at D. Funding for the proposed installation is not available from the grant supporting the remodel.

  18. Now is your chance! Get solar at home or for your organization

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Urbana-Champaign

    Solar Urbana-Champaign bulk solar purchase program returns and expands in 2018
     
    The successful Solar Urbana-Champaign group purchasing program is available again in 2018. Since 2016, the program led to the installation of over 1 megawatt of solar on 138 properties across Champaign County. The program educated hundreds of individuals about solar and helped people save on solar through volume purchasing.
     
    In 2018 the program expands eligibility to Piatt County residents as well. And, thanks to new state legislation, even more people can get access to solar. To increase awareness across Champaign and Piatt Counties, Midwest Renewable Energy Association partnered with Champaign-based Prairie Rivers Network, which champions clean, healthy rivers and lakes and safe drinking water to benefit the people and wildlife of Illinois.
     
    “The electricity that has been produced by the 1,050 kW of solar the program contracted in 2016 and 2017 offset around 1.5 million lbs of CO2 being released into atmosphere in those systems’ first years,” said Scott Tess, Environmental Sustainability Manager at the City of Urbana. “That amount of solar energy will also save almost 20 million gallons of water from use in thermoelectric power plants that run on coal or natural gas.” The program is administered by the MREA at no cost to the cities or the counties. MREA has successfully implemented similar programs in other jurisdictions in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bloomington-Normal, and elsewhere. 
     
    Solar Power Hours are free and open to the public. For the month of June, the following Solar Power Hours will be held:

    Additional Solar Power Hours are posted on the website. 
     

  19. Rooftop Solar work to start this summer

    Associated Project(s): 
    ECE Rooftop Solar PVs

    The 235,000 GSF facility for the Electrical and Computer Engineering department will integrate instruction and research. This project is to reinforce structural steel members in the building for the future placement of a rooftop solar array. There are 970 modules to install with a total DC power rating of 272 kW.

  20. Solar Urbana-Champaign 3.0 launches

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Urbana-Champaign

    Solar Urbana-Champaign is back with version 3.0! 

    • New options for renters, homeowners, commercial property owners, businesses, and farm owners.
    • Now available in Piatt County in addition to Champaign County.
    • Solar Power Hour presentations all summer long.
    • September 30 sign-up deadline.
    • Solar Power Hour kick-off events: Wednesday, May 16 in Urbana and Thursday, May 17 in Monticello (see below).

    The successful Solar Urbana-Champaign group purchasing program is available again in 2018. Since 2016, the program has led to the installation of over 1 megawatt of solar on 138 properties across Champaign County. The program has educated hundreds of individuals about solar and helped people save on solar through volume purchasing.
    Now, the program expands eligibility to Piatt County residents as well as Champaign County residents. And, thanks to new state legislation, even more people can get access to solar.
    Start by attending a Solar Power Hour (full calendar below). This free information session teaches you the basics of solar, its financial implications for your household, and how the solar group buy program works. Then, get a free, no obligation site assessment from the competitively selected solar installer for Solar Urbana-Champaign 3.0.
    This program was brought to you by the City of Urbana, Prairie Rivers Network, and the Midwest Renewable Energy Assocation. We welcome everyone to help spread the word!
    If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know by responding directly to this email. Shine on!

    - Peter
     

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