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  1. Update as of 11/16/16

    Associated Project(s): 
    Provide Working Bikes for University Employees

    The past couple weeks have been productive and busy. Follow up emails were sent to those people who filled out our enrollment form but did not reply back after the initial email and already some good responses have come of that. A couple people said they misunderstood and didn't realize that their department would have to purchase the bicycles so they said they weren't interested. A couple said they received the info and were talking to the appropriate people within their departments. A couple others had meetings setup with myself due to the follow up emails. 

     

    This week I met with Illini Emergency Medical Services who have a bicycle fleet that they use during University events to ensure rapid medical response times. We discussed what was going well for them and what could be improved. They said they would like more publicity so I said that they should absolutely try and get the word out more about their efforts. 

    This week I also met with the Student Planning Organization, the RSO that manages Urban Planning department bicycle fleet. They have 3 bikes that I got to see. We discussed the potential of encouraging more faculty and visiting people's use of the bikes as well as branding for their bikes in an attempt to differentiate them from private bikes. 

    I have also been working on an infographic on "Why Bikes" that details the benefits of cycling on campus. I am hoping this can be passed around with other bicycle fleet documentation we send out. There are a couple drafts still and they are attached to this update as a private file. 

     

     

  4. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, this past week was comfortably  slow. We totaled 49 visitors and were closed on Tuesday due to staff illness. We grossed $319; sold one membership for $30; sold zero build-a-bikes and zero for-sale bikes. Of note is the sale of winter biking gloves: I sold 3 pairs already and it hasn’t even gotten that  cold.

    With the shop closed on Tuesday I made about six trips back and forth to the warehouse on the trailer bike, filling up the shop with as many bikes as I can comfortably stuff in here. On Friday afternoon I noticed a slow leak in a water pipe and alerted the service office. They assessed it before I arrived this morning and will return later, according to an employee in the adjacent garage.

    This week I will be coordinating with Working Bikes to deal with the scrap bikes from the warehouse that were deemed untenable for that specific shipment. I will continue to build bikes and strategize for streamlining some more of the organization and layout of the space, specifically the accessibility of the tool wall. As is, it is very difficult to find things if you are unfamiliar with what the tools look like or what they are used for.

    Regards,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  5. FY 16 RCx Progress Report

    Associated Project(s): 
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)

    The Retrocommissioning (RCx) team has completed nine years of operation on campus in more than 60 campus buildings covering over 8 million square ft. of campus space, having begun our work in Aug. 2007. We have avoided utility costs of over $47M considering the campus fully loaded utility rate or $39M considering the campus variable utility rate. We have also secured millions of dollars in DCEO grants in the past years, including $1.5 million in FY16. We continue to accrue and maintain significant energy usage reductions (average of 27%) on our retrocommissioned buildings. This rate of energy reductions has been generally maintained for 8+ years. More investment in larger projects will be needed going forward to achieve larger energy conservation results.

    Attached Files: 

  6. EGEN SWATeam Meeting (11.9.16)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    PPA for National Petascale Computing Facility
    Rooftop Solar Potential
    Geothermal on Campus

    The EGEN SWATeam held their fourth meeting for the Fall 2016 semester. Topics covered include:

    • Guest presentation by Yu-Feng Forrest Lin to discuss his work on investigating campus geothermal properties
    • View draft recommendation for Petascale offsets
    • Review draft recommendation for on-campus solar
    Attached Files: 

  7. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Illini Lights Out
    Green Lab Program

    At the ECBS SWATeam meeting on November 9, "Illini Lights Out" project, occuring on November 17, was discussed. The building level energy consumption report, which will be about behaviour change messaging, is expected by May 2017. "Green Labs" project progress was discussed. The need for high visibility of energy usage was considered. Next generation energy saving devices, which are present in some buildings on the campus, were discussed.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Urban Legend - debunked

    Associated Project(s): 
    BIF Rooftop Solar PVs
    Solar Power on Campus

    "As the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign considers installing more solar photovoltaic modules on the roofs of buildings, the discussion turns to the type of mounting systems to consider. This discussion often elicits the tale of the modules that were originally installed on the roof of the Business Instructional Facility (BIF) using a ballast-mounted system, that is, a mounting system held down using heavy weights such as concrete blocks. The story goes that a few of the PV modules blew off the roof of the building, and this subsequently led to the modules being installed with a racking system attached to the roof of the building.

    This story is an urban legend..."

    Read file for more information and photos.

     

    Attached Files: 

  9. Connecting F&S, TDM, and Wellness through student engagement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Encourage Active Transportation

    The UIUC Wellness Director Michelle Guerra, the Active Transportation Coordinator Lily Wilcock, and the F&S Director of Sustainability Morgan Johnston, are planning to identify a student to engage in the cross-section of the sustainability, wellness, and transportation efforts for this campus.  There are several aspects of these efforts that overlap, yet it is difficult to find time to keep each other informed.  The student could provide an important connection between these areas, while also learning of the inherently interdisciplinary aspects of sustainability, wellness, and transportation.

  10. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    All, last week was a big one! We had the shipping event on Friday wherein we loaded 363 bikes and a whole bunch of spare parts, wheels, cables, etc. into a giant steel box to be shipping off to  Tanzania to help doctors get to remote villages and students get to class. Very good stuff, indeed!

    Due to the event on Friday the shop was closed, limiting our visitors to 68 for the week. We grossed a mere $362.50. We sold 5 memberships for $150; not a single bike nor any build-a-bikes. We did sell $62 in tubes, so we’re helping keep people on the road, even as visits dwindle.

    This week I will finish clearing out the bike warehouse of the remaining bikes. Working Bikes is coming down to take 40 or so of the bikes we have no need for as well as to help move the bikes we do want back to the CBC, which will be tremendously helpful. I will also coordinate with a new TBP member who has interest in leading a basic maintenance class. And of course building bikes and the Sisyphean task of organizing inventory and parts.

     

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  11. Update from John Marlin to potential volunteers

    Associated Project(s): 
    LAR Native Plants

    Hello,

    Most of you have had some direct involvement with the LAR LLC planting that is in progress.  It started last spring and now has a ~$5000 grant from the Student Sustainability Committee. The past two weeks have seen a lot of progress as plants were removed from propagation beds and transplanted to the front and N side of LAR. 

    Here are a few shots with some of you featured.  I will make more available later to individuals.  

    The recent planting contains mostly woodland wildflowers that are currently dormant.   the straws mark the locations so we do not plant over them during the next couple weeks.   Hopefully they will survive the winter since there are other plants that go in early in the spring.

    The LLC has some weeding tools and watering cans in the building that LAR students can access.   We will need to water plants and do some weeding this week.  If you have a break or get done before dark you might be able to do some weeding on the S side of the building.  Gwenna or I may have to show you what to take out. 

    We are likely to have some more planting next weekend.   Probably Saturday (and maybe Sunday) morning around 10.  Sunday afternoon some of us will be with Red Bison at the South Arboretum Woods near the pollinatarium by Lincoln and Windsor.   Any of you are welcome there. 

    Attached are also a couple posters showing the kinds of woodland plants that are going in.

    John C. Marlin

    -----------

    The files are on the main project page.

  14. archived info - previous project background

    Associated Project(s): 
    Plant Sciences Window Shades [ARCHIVED]

    Per the SSC website, "The installation of energy/shade curtains in the plant sciences laboratory greenhouses will decrease energy usage needed for heating and cooling, increase natural light quality, decrease the use of high intensity supplemental lighting, and decrease energy usage by the application and removal of whitewash. Energy shade curtains have the potential to save between 20-55% in energy use. This project is an expansion of a 2010 SSC loan that helped install energy shade curtains in nine greenhouse rooms, plus additional grant funding to install meters in rooms with the curtains and rooms without. To date, the rooms with the energy/shade curtains have used an average of 32.3% less electricity and 28.8% less water used for cooling rooms in the summer months. Expanding these energy/shade curtains will produce even greater savings..."

  15. Analysis of Existing Bicycle Fleet Survey Responses

    Associated Project(s): 
    Provide Working Bikes for University Employees

    After receiving responses from four different active bicycle fleets on campus after about 3 weeks of having our survey active, we wrote up an analysis of the responses. This analysis is attached to this post as a .pdf file. 

     

    This past week we continued reaching out to people that we have either met in person about potentially starting bicycle fleets on campus. Doug Wolters, Director of Operations for ACES, was able to reach out to the business managers of ACES to share information that we sent him. I also sent emails to a couple people that took our survey requesting a short meeting so we can further discuss their program's success as well as any ways we can improve their bicycle fleets. 

    Attached Files: 

  16. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, last week we had 76 visitors, maybe one of the lowest totals for a full week this semester. It did coincide with cooler weather, so that helps to explain it. As far as the numbers go, we grossed 824.03; we sold 4 memberships for $120; one refurbished bike for $190; and one Build-a-Bike for $145.

    Last week I prepped for the bike shipment that will happen this Friday at 10am. Jim Sims dropped by, which was cool. The new outdoor fix-it station pumps arrived, another very cool thing. We got a great deal on some winter riding gear from our supplier, which should help get more people riding once it gets really chilly. I spoke with Simon Pokorny who is still interested in teaching a basic maintenance class, so when his schedule opens up a little, we will coordinate on that.

    This coming week I plan on prepping more for the bike shipment as well as ramping up publicity for it. The APO volunteer core is having trouble generating more interest due to transportation constraints so I will discuss options with them in advance of the event.

    Sincerely,

     

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

     

  17. SWATeam assessment for FY16

    Associated Project(s): 
    Changing Usage of Individuals

    Status: In Progress
    • Several initiatives underway focusing on student engagement — including Illini Lights Out and Eco-Olympics.
    • Initiatives are continuing for staff and faculty engagement — Certified Green Office Program, Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP).
    • Forming a plan to work toward a Green Labs program that would focus on reducing energy consumption in labs (e.g. fume hoods, refrigeration).

    Attached Files: 

  20. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, last week was a good one and ended on a high note—Friday was beginning-of-the-semester level busy. We had 95 visitors. Our gross sales were $1,268.60; we sold 10 memberships for $300, one bike for $150, and one build-a-bike for $140.

    The major goings-on last week was the bike census on Wednesday. It went well! We collected a lot of useful and important data. I was interviewed about the event by the Daily Illini. Lily did a tremendous job organizing and executing the event. The service manager at Champaign Cycle stopped by and introduced himself; it’s always nice to have a face-to-face with other bike shops in town.

    This week I will be prepping bikes and pulling the good ones at the warehouse, scrapping the pile of junker bikes that Neutral kindly donated, building more for-sale bikes as well as some new storage shelves for the shop.

     

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

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