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Helen Coleman and Evan De Lucia approved an increase in the PO to $55,799 to pay Second Nature in exchange for their services with the transaction of Carbon Credits with BPTN.
An email of approval is attached below.
A group of seniors completed the attached report for the Art and Design Building, for rooftop solar. They recommended a flexible solar material, with micro-inverters. The Art and Design department is interested in working with a student in the fall to seek funding for the rooftop solar from the Student Sustainability Committee.
see file
see file
https://youtu.be/dcetof6KSXs is a link to a video interview a student did as a class project. It features the planting project and mentions SSC, SECS, Red Bison, and CIMN among others.
In the Energy Billing System (EBS), there are meters for solar energy on campus. In BIF, 3D stands for electricity delivered and 3R stands for received (the energy the arrays use when not generating).
Here is a copy of the project I created for Jen's class last semester
Enjoy
--
Joseph Edwards
Monarch butterflies migrate through the campus twice a year. Their movement is tracked online at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/monarch.html.
In 2016, the F&S Grounds crew will do only spot mowing of the designated Low Mow Zones, to control the noxious weeds and trees at the end of May or early June.
Japan is now implementing floating solar farms, on large bodies of water. The water keeps the panels cooler than ambient temperature, so they are more efficent.
Professor Scott Willenbrock shared this link with photos from the installation of solar on his home. http://www.newprairieconstruction.com/solar-panel-installation.
A group of faculty, students, and staff are looking into the options for an Electrification Study for campus. This would be a study that goes through the formal "Feasibility Study" process at F&S, starting with a "Qualifications Based Selection" or QBS.
the Indy airport solar array is 17.5 MW AC.
Good morning, team!
The Sonified Sustainability Festival was this weekend, and had a pretty solid turnout (between 400-500 by my informal running headcount throughout the afternoon). If you couple that with the turnout for the Gallery opening (~100) and the previous two concerts (a little over a 100 each time) you’re looking at around 750 for the project as a whole, without even counting all the other folks who pass through the gallery show before May 2nd.
On top of that, we got some solid coverage for SSC. We were included in the programs and all the advertisements, and also got decent recognition in the local media. Here’s the news roundup:
Not bad considering we were up against Ebertfest and the spring football game.
All My Best,
Micah Kenfield
Student Sustainability Committee Coordinator
Ben McCall gave a short presentation for the Faculty Senate about the iCAP, its history, and its energy-related objectives. There were a few questions, followed by rather surprising applause and a very kind thank-you from the Chancellor.
A resolution from the Senate Committee on Campus Operations in support of the 2015 iCAP and recommending "that the administration make it a top priority to allocate funding and human resources to the full and rapid implementation of the goals of the 2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan while maintaining the tradition of excellence in scholarly activities that define the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a world-leading research and teaching institution" passed unanimously!!
see file
see file
Attached and embedded below is a request to utilize the remaining funds in the Paxton grant for campus sustainable landscapes which is now under the purview of ISEE. The persons on the CC are all familiar with some of the work in this area done over the past few years and can likely speak to the wisdom of using the funds to supplement the ongoing efforts.
TO: Dr. Evan DeLucia and Dr. Ben McCall
From: John C. Marlin
RE: Use of “Support for Sustainable Landscapes” funds
Date: March 21, 2016
Several efforts are underway on the University of Illinois campus to promote the use and reestablishment of native plant species. The intent is to integrate native plants into the main campus landscaping and establish larger more diverse plantings in areas farther from the main campus in conjunction with the removal of invasive plants such as bush honeysuckle. The plantings will be especially valuable to insect pollinators and birds and will provide significant educational opportunities. To date much of the funding has come from the Student Sustainability Committee.
Work at the moment is concentrated on the 2.3 acre prairie at Florida and Orchard in Urbana, the wooded area at the southern end of the Arboretum known as SAW (South Arboretum Woods) including the Pollinatarium, and the Forestry Plantation along Race Street. Other active sites include Burrill Hall, the Natural Resources Building, and the Florida Orchard Prairie. Another small project is about to begin at Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall, which will be largely supported by LAR funds and student volunteers.
In addition to the SSC, several campus and community groups have made substantial contributions to the effort primarily through volunteer labor. The Master Naturalists and Grand Prairie Friends have provided hundreds of volunteer hours as have local citizens who attend work days. Individual students, faculty, and staff as well as Red Bison, Students for Environmental Concerns, and other student service organizations put in additional hours.
NRES purchased a $30,000 chipper and hired a contractor to remove honeysuckle with a forestry mower at the forestry plantation. The machine was also used on a limited basis at the Arboretum. Additional staff and in kind support was provided by the Arboretum, Pollinatarium, Prairie Research Institute, and Illinois Natural History Survey.
Recent SSC funding received by the Arboretum makes it possible for the forestry mower to return and remove large stands of honeysuckle. Workers will then remove by hand the honeysuckle too close to trees for the machine to cut. The area will then be replanted with native understory species as the invasive plants are brought under control. This will take several years. Various research projects focused on native plantings and their usefulness to other species are also envisioned.
Considerable additional funding beyond that provided by SSC is required to complete this effort. It is anticipated that the Arboretum and others will seek grants for future work and research. It is, therefore, requested that the remaining funds in the $10,000 donation “Support for Sustainable Landscapes” Dr. Jack Paxton made several years ago be made available to further this work. The funds would be used to supplement and match SSC and other funding. Specifically the funds would be available for the following purposes as needed: supplies and equipment, removal of invasive plants by contractors or hourly workers in campus areas, and purchase and planting of native plant material at appropriate campus locations.
Dr. John C. Marlin, a research affiliate at ISTC and INHS and Adjunct Professor in NRES, has lead much of this effort since 2011 as a volunteer. He continues to coordinate considerable activity by students, staff and community volunteers on these projects. He is also available to coordinate the proposed project.
Primary collaborators include Dr. Marlin; Arboretum Director, Dr. Kevin McSweeney; and Jay Hayek the Extension Forester within NRES.
This use of the Paxton grant is supported by Dr. Paxton (who has contributed numerous volunteer hours) and campus Facilities and Services. If a committee is needed to consider this matter, the SWAT team that deals with land and agriculture could probably be involved.
If there are any questions or a need for discussion, please contact Dr. Marlin at marlin@illinois.edu 217-649-4591
CC:
Dr. Jack Paxton
Brent Lewis
Morgan Johnston
Jay Hayek
Dr. Kevin McSweeney
Micah Kenfield
John C. Marlin PhD.
Research Affiliate
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and
Adjunct Professor
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois
One Hazelwood Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820
217-333-8956
Ben McCall, Morgan Johnston, Scott Willenbrock, and Mike Larson met with Ted Christy and Jim Sims to discuss the process for an Electrification Study. Ted provided the attached document that needs to be completed in order to move forward. Additionally, Ted indicated that attachment a is the most pertinent. He said, "This statement would tell us what, from your perspective you hope to receive at the end of this study for it to be considered successful. It doesn’t need to get into detail. A paragraph or two in your own words to provide general description is very helpful. On the other hand, don’t feel like you need to limit this item, many departments submit a several page document. This information is used by the Planner to develop a scope statement that you will need to sign off on before we seek project approval."
The iCAP Working Group (iWG) met on February 16, 2016, to discuss the SWATeam recommendation, Trans007 Campus Fleet Analysis and Planning. The iWG's final comment was:
"They have suggested that this analysis is ideally completed by an industry professional. The iWG recommends that this study can be broken down into phases where phase 1 could be done by students, and phase 2 then could be done by an outside consultant (industry expert). Ben will suggest this to the SWATeam."
Following the iWG meeting, this recommendation was returned to the Transportation SWATeam for further discussion and modification to the recommendation within the SWATeam.
See SWATeam recommendation Trans007 Campus Fleet Analysis and Planning here.
The iCAP Working Group (iWG) met on February 16, 2016, to discuss the SWATeam recommendation, Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis. The iWG's final comment was:
"What would be the end result? There are many reasons to travel, some are optional and some are not. For example, junior faculty who are working on tenure need to network and engage with other experts in their area. Other times, it may be sufficient to conduct business or the meeting virtually. This is more of a sociological study, maybe a student in the Sociology department can help. Jess Tang will work with the SWATeam to see if this is plausible."
Following the iWG meeting, this recommendation was returned to the Transportation SWATeam for further discussion within the SWATeam.
See SWATeam recommendation Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis here.
