You are here

Project Updates for collection: Renewable Energy Projects

Search

Search tips:

  • This form will search for words in the title OR the description. If you would like to search for the same term(s) across both the title and description, enter the same search term(s) in both fields.
  • This form will search for any of the words you enter in a field, not the exact phrase you enter. If you would like to search for an exact phrase, put double quotes (") around the phrase. For example, if you search for Bike Path you will get results containing either the word Bike OR the word Path, but if you search for "Bike Path" you will get results containing the exact phrase Bike Path.

  1. Considerations for clean thermal energy

    Associated Project(s): 
    Use Clean Thermal Energy
    Solar Thermal at ARC
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm
    Geothermal on Campus
    Grind2Energy

    There are a few examples of clean thermal energy in use on campus at this time. These include:

    • the solar thermal panels on the Activities Rec Center, heating the three swimming pools
    • the biomass boiler at the Energy Farm, heating the two story greenhouse on south Race Street
    • geothermal installations providing heating and cooling at the Fruit Farm Admin Building, the RIPE greenhouse, the Campus Instructional Facility, a few buildings at Allerton Park, the solar decathlon Gable Home at the Energy Farm, and a few rooms in the Hydrosystems Building
    • a wood-fired stove heating some maintenance buildings at Allerton Park

    We could expand these types of energy systems...

    • Additional geothermal installations are being planned for various places around campus, including a geothermal battery system at the Energy Farm.  The other geothermal locations in planning discussions now include the South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning, a future greenhouse for CABBI, and the Doris Christopher Kelley Illinois Extension Building in the Arboretum.
    • The biomass boiler at the Energy Farm was designed with the anticipation of future expansion.
    • Solar thermal is a great option for our area of the planet, but it is not easy to integrate it in our existing energy enterprise.

    Another option for clean thermal energy is biogas, which UIUC contributes to locally through the Grind2Energy system, which takes food waste from the dining halls to the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD).  UCSD puts it through their anaerobic digester which captures the methane (a very strong greenhouse gas).  Currently, that captured methane is used to run an electrical generator, which provides power to the UCSD facility.  An alternative would be to upgrade the methane to pipeline quality and use the biogas a Abbott Power Plant on campus.  This is an expensive option that would require a lot of coordination and funding.

    Another strong option is a micronuclear reactor, which is being studies by the Grainger College of Engineering faculty and researchers.  This system could be integrated with the existing steam distribution system and provide ghg-free energy to campus.

     

  2. Zero Waste iCAP Meeting 3/10/2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Tailgate Recycling
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting
    Grind2Energy

    On January 30th, the Zero Waste iCAP team met to discuss final thoughts on the finished tailgate recycling recommendation, the feasibility of a large scale composting program on campus, and current work with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  3. N-G Mailbag question: UI's sources of electricity

    Associated Project(s): 
    Stop Burning Coal at Abbott Power Plant
    Use Clean Power

    A representative from the News-Gazette reached out to Steve Breitwieser with questions regarding Abbot Power Plant:

    Please also see the attached spreadsheet with data on steam supplied buildings.

    Hi Kathy,

     

    Abbott Power Plant generates all district heating and almost 275,000

    megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity each year using a high-efficiency

    cogeneration process, which simultaneously produces both steam and

    electricity. When the campus load for heat is highest during the

    winter months, the plant, along with the two utility-scale solar

    farms, provides almost all the electricity that the campus needs,

    with the remainder coming from wind energy that is imported onto the

    campus grid. Throughout the year, Abbott's sustainable cogeneration

    process supplies approximately

    85 percent of the total energy demand (steam and electricity) for the

    Urbana campus, which includes almost 50 percent of the overall electricity usage. The electricity not generated at Abbott, from

     on-site solar arrays, or acquired through a wind power purchase

    agreement is purchased through Prairieland Energy, a corporation

    solely owned by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. More

    information about utilities production is available at https://fs.illinois.edu/services/utilities-energy/production.

     

     Happy Holidays!

     Steve B.

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

    Hi, Steve. As I'm assembling this week's column, I have several

     follow-up

     questions:

     

     Can you clarify what's meant by "district heating"?

     

     Does most of the steam generated by the cogeneration process end up

     heating some of the older buildings on campus? (I spent 20+ years in

     Mumford Hall and remember the sounds the pipes made at certain times of year.)

     

    Any idea of approximately what percentage of the campus' interior spaces are still heated with ssssssteam heat?

     

    I took a look at the website you mentioned, and have a couple of questions

     about that: What does  UES stand for?   And the website says, "During low

    campus demand for both heat and air conditioning, Abbott typically

     burns natural gas. During the winter months, when the campus heat load

     is highest, a combination of both coal and natural gas is necessary."

    Is that information still accurate? (I thought the coal scrubbers were

    no longer in use on campus...?)

     

     

    If it's not possible to get answers to me this week, that's OK; I can hold the item for next week.

     

    Thank you,

    KR

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

     Hi Kathy,

     

     I'll follow up on these in greater detail when everyone returns next week.

     

     UES is the acronym for the Utilities & Energy Services division that is within Facilities & Services. District heating is referencing the process used to distribute steam from Abbott to campus facilities through underground pipes.

     

    Steve B.

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

    Mike/Dave,

     

    There were a couple of follow of questions to this media inquiry from the NG before the break.  Can you help clarify the highlighted sections by Wednesday with any additional information? For the interior spaces question, let me know if you can explain that more precisely – on our website we say “More than 250 campus buildings use the steam produced at Abbott for their heating.” The UMP also indicates: From discussions with U of I staff, approximately 85% of the campus condensate is returned to APP (if that would be something to note from a process standpoint along with an explanation like below).

     

    Abbott uses gas turbines, natural gas-fired boilers, and coal fired boilers, recovering reject heat from electric generation to help produce steam. The plant pipes steam underground across campus to provide buildings with space heating, domestic hot water, sterilization, and more. Once used, the steam condenses into water and returns to the plant where it is recycled and reused.

     

     

    I could respond to the fuel item with what we have said previously…

     

    When the campus load for heat is highest during the winter months, natural gas and coal are utilized to meet the significant energy demand. The coal-fired

    boilers are also a part of research efforts, primarily related to carbon capture technology. Additionally, maintaining fuel flexibility provides the university operational reliability and the ability to respond to market factors for purchased utilities.

     

    Thanks for helping out with some more detail on this one.

    Steve B.

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

    Mark/Dave,

     

    Do you guys or maybe steam distribution know approximately what percentage of campus buildings are still on steam heat?

     

    Thanks

    David Hardin

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

    I have not seen a list. We will ask Steam.

     

    When time allows maybe we could add a column to note the steam yes or no. Hmmmmm Elizabeth stated Keith Erickson had a list and she recalls some sort of building database that listed utilities per building such as steam,  electricity from Abbot or Ameren, gas etc. It would be nice to find this.

     

    Dave

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

    Mike/Frank,

     

    Are you guys aware of the list/database Dave referenced below and if so where it is located?

     

    Thanks

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

    David,

     

    I would think that EBS would provide a list of building that are served with steam, based on the meters in EBS.

     

    Tony and/or Kate,

     

    Can you clarify/confirm how many buildings on campus are served with steam from EBS?  The email string below indicates that the Util. Master Plant said over 250 buildings are served by steam from Abbott. Is that still the case?

     

    Mike Larson

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

    According to EBS, there are 175 active steam meters. Some buildings have multiple meters so there would be fewer buildings than that.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Kate Brewster

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

    Anthony should be able to run a query that will give us an exact number from our last billing cycle.

     

    Regards,

     

    Tony

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

    As of our last EBS billing the count is 147.  I have attached the file that supports this number for your reference.

     

    Regards,

     

    Tony

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

    Attached Files: 

  4. Advantages of hot water versus steam within buildings

    Associated Project(s): 
    Steam System Maintenance
    Use Clean Power

    Below is an email exchange between Jim Sims and Tom Keller:

    Mike or Tom,

     

    The EMT is discussing the advantages of converting building heating systems from steam to hot water with steam distribution. Would one of you be able to clarify this benefit?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Jim

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

    Jim,

     

    Hot water is more efficient than steam because it is easier to control. This also adds comfort to the occupants. Steam can be easier to leak and it is hotter, so there are some small safety concerns. Steam tends to be a bit noisier than hot water. Hot water can be easier to maintain than steam.

     

    There are quite a few other reasons. This is why hot water heating systems have become the industry standard.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Tom

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

     

    EMT,

     

    I asked Tom Keller and Mike Halm to provide some feedback regarding the advantages of hot water versus steam within buildings. Please see Tom Keller’s response below for our information. Please let me know if we would like for Tom would like to further explain “quite a few other reasons” or his primary benefits listed below.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Jim

  5. Update on drilling

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Battery at Energy Farm

    From: Stumpf, Andrew J 
    Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2023 7:37 PM
    To: Rubin, Joshua ; Mies, Tim ; Lamb, Jeremy ; Klein, Bradley Dean 
    Cc: Lin, Yu-Feng ; Weckle, Amy Lorraine; White, Morgan 
    Subject: UTB at the Energy Farm

     

    Hi folks,

     

    Here is an update. Dom and Todd worked to get half of the hole grouted today and now wait until tomorrow morning to see if the battery floats, or not. Theoretically it should not, but we will see. They will start up again at 8 am if anyone is over that way. Xiaobing and Tony have gone back to Tennessee.

     

    Best,

    Andy

  7. notes on solar over carports

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar at Willard Airport

    Michigan Sate University shared some lessons learned from implementing solar car ports on their campus. 

    • make sure your carport roof covers the fll parking space, because they had icicles form on the edge and fall onto a vehicle, which damaged the vehicle
    • snow removal equipment may hit the roof and damage the structure
    • one time an RV hit the structure during tailgating

  8. Invitation to collaborate on a presentation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

     

    I was contact by some colleagues withy Future Earth – Taipei (https://futureearth.org/about/who-we-are/international-offices/taipei-global-hub/) for a potential webinar series.  I suggested them to think about campus sustainability actions as a living laboratory and they are very intrigued by this idea.  They asked me to suggest speakers and I am thinking about Jack, Morgan and Andy.  So, I would like to ask if you are interested.  Some of their previous talk can be found at https://www.facebook.com/futureearth.org/.  All the communications and activities will be between 6pm-11pm CST due to time difference.  I am happy to have more discussion if you are interested.

     

    Presenters:

     

    Ms. Morgan White, https://fs.illinois.edu/resources/newsroom/2021/10/14/white-named-acting-director-of-the-f-s-capital-programs-division

    Mr. Jack Reicherts, https://studentengagement.illinois.edu/student-sustainability/ssc/team/reicherts/

    Dr. Andrew Stumpf, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=astumpf@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

    Dr. Ping-Yu Change, https://scholars.ncu.edu.tw/en/persons/ping-yu-chang

    Dr. Jui-Pin (Rubin) Tsai, https://www.bse.ntu.edu.tw/member?teacher_id=48&page=1

    Dr. Yu-Feng Forrrest Lin, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=yflin@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

     

    Cheers,

     

    Yu-Feng F. Lin

    Director

        Illinois Water Resources Center

    Principal Research Hydrogeologist

        Illinois State Geological Survey

    Clinical Professor

        Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Research Professor

        Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  9. Invitation to collaborate on a presentation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

     

    I was contact by some colleagues withy Future Earth – Taipei (https://futureearth.org/about/who-we-are/international-offices/taipei-global-hub/) for a potential webinar series.  I suggested them to think about campus sustainability actions as a living laboratory and they are very intrigued by this idea.  They asked me to suggest speakers and I am thinking about Jack, Morgan and Andy.  So, I would like to ask if you are interested.  Some of their previous talk can be found at https://www.facebook.com/futureearth.org/.  All the communications and activities will be between 6pm-11pm CST due to time difference.  I am happy to have more discussion if you are interested.

     

    Presenters:

     

    Ms. Morgan White, https://fs.illinois.edu/resources/newsroom/2021/10/14/white-named-acting-director-of-the-f-s-capital-programs-division

    Mr. Jack Reicherts, https://studentengagement.illinois.edu/student-sustainability/ssc/team/reicherts/

    Dr. Andrew Stumpf, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=astumpf@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

    Dr. Ping-Yu Change, https://scholars.ncu.edu.tw/en/persons/ping-yu-chang

    Dr. Jui-Pin (Rubin) Tsai, https://www.bse.ntu.edu.tw/member?teacher_id=48&page=1

    Dr. Yu-Feng Forrrest Lin, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=yflin@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

     

    Cheers,

     

    Yu-Feng F. Lin

    Director

        Illinois Water Resources Center

    Principal Research Hydrogeologist

        Illinois State Geological Survey

    Clinical Professor

        Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Research Professor

        Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  10. iSEE Quarterly update for Winter 2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Report on Progress
    iSEE Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) Projects
    iSEE Congress
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)
    Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW)
    Grind2Energy
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    Illini Lights Out
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Bee Campus USA

    Greetings, Colleagues,

     

    I hope the start of 2023 is going well. I’m reaching out today to send you iSEE Quarterly update for Winter 2022 from the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.

     

    For more up-to-date news from iSEE, please sign up for our E-newsletter at https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/5031776.

     

    IN RESEARCH

     

     IN EDUCATION & OUTREACH

    • Registration is open for iSEE Congress 2023 — “Addressing Crises of a Planetary Scale: Lessons from Pandemics and Climate Change.”
    • The Fall 2023 Critical Conversation is expected to bring together stakeholders to discuss climate-smart commodities.
    • iSEE’s Environmental Leadership Program for Spring 2023 is already more than past the midway point; check out our student blog for some perspective on the immersive learning experience.
    • Read a Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW) success story in former Q author and CEW recipient Zack Fishman.

     

    IN CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY

    • Our Grind2Energy video explored how dining hall food waste produces energy and fertilizer; its release spurred coverage by The News-Gazette and WCIA-TV.
    • iSEE’s new, more comprehensive Student Action webpage offers listings for iSEE jobs, volunteering, and student organizations to join.
    • Illini Lights Out fall semester featured RECORD totals: more than 640 volunteers turned off 20,303 bulbs, saving the campus as much as 35,000 kWH, $3,090, and nearly 25 tons of GHG. Spring dates: Jan. 27 (130+ volunteers, 5,043 bulbs, 8,700 kWH, $760, 6.2 tons of GHG), Feb. 10 and 24, March 24, and April 21.
    • At the November Zero Waste basketball game (see video) more than 280 pounds of beverage containers and other recyclables were diverted from the landfill. The next Zero Waste basketball game March 2 seeks 100 volunteers. iSEE partnering with F&S, Housing, Athletics, and Union for a #don’twasteWednesdays twitter campaign all spring. FALL PLAN: a ZW football tailgate.
    • A new Waste Transfer Station video shows the great work by Facilities & Services — but also the need for all campus community members to pre-sort their recyclables to prevent them from becoming landfill waste.
    • Greener Campus certifications in the new year: One new office (Visit Champaign County!), one new chapter (Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority), and nine new events (including Illini Lights Out) certified in January.
    • Read our article about the sustainable features of Campus Recreation and our feature about the new beekeeping club on campus.

     

    Thanks for reading, and best wishes for the remainder of the spring semester!

     

    Best,

    Madhu Khanna

     

     

    Madhu Khanna

    Pronouns: she, her

    Alvin H. Baum Family Chair & Director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment

    ACES Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics

    Co-Director, Center for Economics of Sustainability

    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

    1301, W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801

     

     

     

  11. Project Announcement for UTB Installation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Battery at Energy Farm

    Below is a message from Andrew Stumpf regarding the installation of the underground thermal battery at the UIUC Energy Farm:

    Dear colleagues,

     

    It is with great excitement that I can announce the project to install Underground Thermal Battery (UTB) system developed by Dr. Xiaobing Liu’s team at Oakridge National Laboratory at UIUC Energy Farm will begin next week. This will be a several weeks project that includes installing the UTB, associated geothermal boreholes, geothermal heat pump, HVAC upgrades and control center. On Monday the UTB will be placed in the ground. Skinner Drilling will be installing the UTB with assistance from Durbin Geothermal. All the other work will follow over the coming weeks. I expect drilling will start between 8:00 and 8:30 and take about 1 hour, and then the battery will be lowered into the ground and be done before noon.

     

    You're most welcome to visit.

     

    Best,

    Andy

     

  12. Green Power Partnership’s 2021 Year in Review

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA Green Power Partner

    GPP Logo
     

    Green Power Partnership's 2021 Year in Review

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Green Power Partnership (GPP) reached several program milestones in calendar year 2021. The 2021 performance update shows how EPA's Partners continued to raise the bar on leadership and impact in green power use, advancing the U.S. market for green power.

    Here are the Partnership's 2021 accomplishments:

    2021 Year in Review

    These figures demonstrate how electricity consumers transform the power sector by choosing how their power is generated. EPA's Partners help grow demand and scale the renewable energy market by purchasing and using renewable electricity. Renewable electricity helps these organizations meet their energy, economic, and environmental objectives. Green electricity customers also encourage the development of renewable electricity sources and drive new project development.

    With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, new funding, programs, and incentives will help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. See what the Inflation Reduction Act has to offer for Green Power Partners here.

     

    See more GPP data in our Program Data Viewer, and find more info about our Partners with our Partner Profile Viewerand in the Top Partner Rankings.

     

    To learn more, visit https://www.epa.gov/green-power-markets.

  14. Funding Approval for Micro-Agrivoltaics - Salvage of Equipment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature
    Agrivoltaics: Crop Production and Solar Panels on the Same Land
    Ground Mounted Solar PVs BRC Research Test Bed

    Ehab Kamarah and Madhu Khanna approved $10,000 in funding to support Agrivoltaics projects on campus.

    Tim Mies sent the following email excerpt to Madhu Khanna on Feb 7, 2023:

    I would like to update a bit on how this project might go forward, and ask for your thoughts on possible funding to complete this project (connect to campus grid).

     

    Carl to date has purchased 3 solar frames which can hold up to 72 of the size panel I have in storage (from the 2007 Solar Decathlon house).  Unfortunately I have only 40 panels, which will lead to a gaps in shading with only 12 panels per structure.

     

    My initial intention was to apply to SSC for funding to fill the space, purchase inverters, and hire electricians to connect to the campus grid.  This application would occur after the initial goal, shading research plots, is complete.

     

    Since this last email, I was contacted by Brent Lewis at F&S regarding potential surplus panels available immediately due to a demolition project under way for the failed building the panels connect to.  The picture below shows 60 panels of larger capacity (245 watt instead of 180) that would be able to fully populate the footprint of Carl’s frames.  In addition, there are inverters and ancillary connection parts that can likely be reused to allow these panels continued production on the campus grid.

     

    A ballpark estimate from F&S would be 5-10K to salvage all of the panels and equipment.   Do you think there would be support from Ehab to utilize carbon credit funds to at least salvage the panels and reinstall on the new frames?  I would be willing to apply to SSC again for the final connection if carbon funds could not cover this all.

  15. It's official! ECE is Net Zero Certified!

    Associated Project(s): 
    ECE Net-Zero Energy Building

    https://ece.illinois.edu/newsroom/news/net-zero-certification

    The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has become the university’s first zero energy certified facility through innovative facility design and clean energy produced on campus. All of the operational energy associated with the building is now offset through a combination of on-site solar production and solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), which earned the 238,000 gross square foot facility official Zero Energy (ZE) Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

    According to ECE department head Bruce Hajek, “achieving net zero energy was an aspirational goal of everyone who contributed to the project and is the embodiment of the teaching and cutting-edge discovery excellence taking place in this world-class facility. The ability to meet this goal—in less than 10 years since the building’s opening—by using solar energy generated on campus showcases the relentless campus focus on reducing carbon emissions and what is possible through collaboration and leadership in this critical area.”

    The ECE Building produces about 11 percent of its energy through its rooftop array, a 300 kW setup featuring 970 panels. The rest of its consumption is supported through SRECs from Solar Farm 2.0, a 12.32 megawatt (MWdc) utility-scale installation on south campus bordering the Village of Savoy.

    Aerial view of Solar Farm 2.0 south of campus.Aerial view of the Solar Farm 2.0 south of campus. (Photo courtesy of Jim Baltz)

    The IFLI standard for meeting ZE certification includes accounting for all heating, cooling, and other energy a facility uses. Any non-electrical consumption is converted to a kilowatt-hour electricity equivalent to assess the efficiency performance and necessary offset. The certification process required a full year for verification and guarantees for continued zero energy operation into the future. Offsite renewable energy production must also be located within the same regional power grid and linked to building energy usage.

    Ehab Kamarah, associate vice chancellor and executive director of Facilities & Services, said, “Being an active partner with ECE on these types of projects is an example of why the university is a recognized leader in sustainable building design, construction, operations, and on-site renewable energy production. Finalizing this certification is a credit to the U of I’s expertise in solar innovation and expanding clean energy portfolio.”

    Reaching energy conservation and clean energy targets as a part of overall sustainability efforts is fundamental to Illinois’ land-grant university mission. The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) is the university’s strategic plan to meet the Climate Leadership Commitments, including becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible and building resilience to climate change in the local community. The Urbana campus renewable energy portfolio already meets more than 12 percent of annual electricity needs.

    The ECE building is a sustainable learning laboratory with features that reduce energy consumption and help make zero energy a reality. In November 2019, the building achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for advanced energy efficiency features, such as LED and fluorescent lighting, intelligent systems to optimize energy usage, excellent space configuration, recycled materials incorporation, and other green design attributes. The facility was designed with most windows facing south for optimal daylighting, heat recovery chillers, chilled beams, exhaust heat recovery wheels, and occupancy sensors. Also, following the opening, the F&S Retrocommissioning team worked to enhance building control systems for peak efficiency by modifying programming, set points, and some controls.

    <<see video of solar panels at https://youtu.be/iU4SqjMxB1A>> 

    Many characteristics of the ECE Building directly contribute to research and educational use. A section of the rooftop solar array connects to a major research laboratory in the building and provides hands-on experience with photovoltaic technology. There is a weather station on the roof for collecting data about conditions that affect solar production, like wind speed, temperature, humidity, insolation, and cloud cover. For all visitors, interactive digital signs show updated energy usage and a power dashboard in the building’s atrium.

    More information about the ECE building is available at: https://ece.illinois.edu/about/buildings/energy-efficiency

  16. Energy Farm Mini Agrivoltaics

    Associated Project(s): 
    Agrivoltaics: Crop Production and Solar Panels on the Same Land
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature
    Ground Mounted Solar PVs BRC Research Test Bed

    Below is an email from Madhu Khanna regarding the energy farm mini agrivoltaics. 

     

    From: Khanna, Madhu <khanna1 at illinois.edu> 
    Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2023 3:37 AM
    To: Kamarah, Ehab <ekamarah at illinois.edu>; White, Morgan <mbwhite at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Energy Farm mini agrivoltaics

     

    Hi Ehab

     

    While we are waiting for doing the agrivoltaic experiments at Solar Farm 2 and build our own AV farm, Carl Bernacchi has been working on creating a small AV experiment at the Energy Farm with a few solar panels that can be set up to grow vegetables underneath. This project will generate solar energy that will be connected to the campus grid.

     

    Tim Mies and Carl Bernacchi have sent the following information.  Carl has used his USDA funds to purchase solar frames. They have been able to acquire panels from storage and  Brent Lewis at F&S.  But need $5-10K to salvage the panels and reinstall them.

     

    Can we approve up to $10K funds from the carbon credit fund to cover these costs? Tim plans to apply for SSC funding as well and if he gets funding then these costs can come down. We can justify it as a project that will contribute to increasing renewable energy generation in the future.

     

    Best

    Madhu

     

     

     

    Madhu Khanna

    Pronouns: she, her

    Alvin H. Baum Family Chair & Director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment

    ACES Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics

    Co-Director, Center for Economics of Sustainability

    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

    1301, W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801

     

    email: khanna1@illinois.edu; phone: 217-333-5176; fax: 217-333-5538

     

    http://ace.illinois.edu/directory/madhu-khanna

    https://ceos.illinois.edu/bio-khanna

    https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LPH4gbUAAAAJ&hl=en

     

    https://illinois.zoom.us/j/2173335176?pwd=Ri8rTzQ0S1RxZHpiY2tEWVdaSlhtZz09

     

    _____________________________________________________________________

    From: Mies, Tim <tmies at illinois.edu> 
    Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 1:50 PM
    To: Khanna, Madhu <khanna1 at illinois.edu>
    Cc: Bernacchi, Carl J <bernacch at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Energy Farm mini agrivoltaics

     

     

    Good Morning Madhu,

     

    I would like to update a bit on how this project might go forward, and ask for your thoughts on possible funding to complete this project (connect to campus grid).

     

    Carl to date has purchased 3 solar frames which can hold up to 72 of the size panel I have in storage (from the 2007 Solar Decathlon house).  Unfortunately I have only 40 panels, which will lead to a gaps in shading with only 12 panels per structure.

     

    My initial intention was to apply to SSC for funding to fill the space, purchase inverters, and hire electricians to connect to the campus grid.  This application would occur after the initial goal, shading research plots, is complete.

     

    Since this last email, I was contacted by Brent Lewis at F&S regarding potential surplus panels available immediately due to a demolition project under way for the failed building the panels connect to.  The picture below shows 60 panels of larger capacity (245 watt instead of 180) that would be able to fully populate the footprint of Carl’s frames.  In addition, there are inverters and ancillary connection parts that can likely be reused to allow these panels continued production on the campus grid.

     

    A ballpark estimate from F&S would be 5-10K to salvage all of the panels and equipment.   Do you think there would be support from Ehab to utilize carbon credit funds to at least salvage the panels and reinstall on the new frames?  I would be willing to apply to SSC again for the final connection if carbon funds could not cover this all.

     

    Please let me know if you have any additional questions or clarifications that we can provide.


    Best,
    Tim

     

    Attached Files: 

Pages