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  5. news mention

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0

    Nice Solar Farm reference in this article about Ohio University….

    “We can learn from and be inspired by these models. Meanwhile, other schools also developing significant solar energy projects, such as University of Maryland (2 MW), Rochester Institute of Technology (2 MW), Elon University (3 MW), University of Illinois (5.87 MW), and Pennsylvania State University (the class of 2015 is holding a solar-array design contest to determine its gift to PSU).”

    http://www.athensnews.com/opinion/readers_forum/ou-can-start-transition-to-green-energy-by-working-with/article_a18cc578-3086-11e5-9dfe-7f529356389c.html

  6. YMCA leaders meet with sustainability staff

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    Emily Cross and Mike Doyle from the University YMCA met with Ben McCall from iSEE, Nancy Holm from ISTC, and Morgan Johnston from F&S to describe the history and process of the YMCA Dump and Run.  The program has been around for approximately 15 years, and a couple years ago they expanded collections to include the campus residence halls.  There are many opportunities to grow the program, and thereby reduce the waste going to landfills, but the YMCA staff are currently at capacity for managing the program.

  7. vertical solar idea

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus
    Vertical Solar Panels on MEB

    The Architecture Review Committee (ARC) got an inquiry about the possiblity of mounting solar vertically on south-facing walls (without windows).  This could be a sheer flush-mounted solar PV array immediately against the wall.  The PVs would not produce as much energy as a roof-top array, but there could be fewer issues with rooftop penetrations, etc.  The ARC noted that there is not a specific policy about this idea yet, and they would willing to work with the idea on installation on a case by case, building by building basis, at least until there is a comprehensive policy in place.

    For a given capacity of PV modules, a vertical wall will harvest 78% of the energy that a flat roof would, and 67% of the energy that could be harvested at a 40 degree tilt. While this is not ideal, the costs may be lower and the maintenance and roof loading concerns would not pertain.  Two possible candidates are the south wall of NSRC (which has no windows in the "central" part) and the south facade of the Tryon Festival Theater in Krannert, which is actually somewhat tilted.

    <post edited on 7/15/2024, added "Vertical Solar Panels on MEB" project, mbwhite>

  8. Jul 9 2015 Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Wind Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
    Appropriately Staff Sustainable Transportation Efforts
    Reduce Emissions from Transportation
    Develop Scenarios for Converting the UI Fleet to Renewable Fuels
    Appropriately Staff Zero Waste Efforts
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Reduce Emissions from Energy Consumption
    Sustainability Council

    see file

    Several SWATeam recommendations were discussed.  Also, an update from the Sustainability Council was provided:

    "Review of Council Meeting/Status of iCAP Approval - The Sustainability Council meeting went very well with lots of good discussion. There were not too many serious objections to the iCAP. They would like to see financial information, such as cost-benefit analysis on projects. This information will be included in the study for accelerating our carbon neutrality date. The cover letter from the Chancellor affirming our commitment will include language about the current fiscal climate in Illinois. The Chancellor was keen to be able to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. Other concerns were in regard to the net zero space item and they suggested a space audit be included in the iCAP."

    Attached Files: 

  9. IBI student leaders meet with iSEE representatives

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    Adam Dornford, Rahul Gogia, and Tarsis Sousa met with Professor Ben McCall, Professor Madhu Khanna, and Morgan Johnston at iSEE.  The discussion revolved around the faculty advisor needs for the group.  Madhu Khanna will be the faculty advisor of record, and Ben McCall will continue to participate with the program.  There may be a graduate student in analytical chemistry who could assist with the chemical aspects of the program.

    Issues reviewed at this meeting included:

    • numbers of students anticipated to participate once IBI is running again - at the height of the IBI program in the past, there were nearly 100 students involved - need to recruit some new students - partnering with I-energy - would be good to have hands-on work for getting students interested
    • equipment selection for the new program - they will start with using the existing 50 gallon plug-n-play items BioPro 190 have two of them in the basement of ABL
    • soap program - for Dining Services pre-wash of dishes
    • consider tracking utility costs for the overall program - with a Life-cycle Cost Accounting (LCA), and associated GHG emission reductions
    • potential bench space options AESB, RAL?
    • what information does IBRL need in order to fully support IBI being included in their facility? feasibility analysis.  

    Emails from each group - Dining, Car Pool, Energy Farm, SSC - to document what you will do...  prepare a mini proposal (with short term and long term plans) and send to this group - include:

    • organizational structure - who is doing what, including faculty advisors and all students, management plan - how many students are going to be in and out of the facility
    • phases for process - over a 3 year plan, to show continuity
    • business plan for operations - how will you do it
    • financial program - costs to operate and anticipated revenue

  10. IBI key student leaders gearing up for the fall

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    IBI representatives, Adam Dornford and Rahul Gogia, are meeting with campus stakeholders to get ready for the fall semester.  Discussion topics include:

    • temporary storage space (move from ISTC)
    • long term lab space
    • funding for new equipment (some funding is allocated already by the SSC)
    • faculty advisor options
    • end users on campus for the biodiesel that will be produced
    • supply of waste food oil from Housing
    • benefits to students, and ways to reach out to get new student members across disciplinary lines
    • business case to IBRL for a continuous operation at their new facility

  11. Award Letter - Anaerobic Digester Pilot

    Associated Project(s): 
    Explore Options for 100 Percent Clean Campus Energy
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Food waste is the second largest category of municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfills in the United States, accounting for approximately 18% of the waste stream. Agricultural and garden wastes comprising of wood and yard trimmings come next in the list, accounting for approximately 15% of the waste stream. At the U of I campus as well, about 100-120 gallons of food waste is generated from one dining hall unit per week. That is roughly 0.5 cubic yards/week currently.
    Anaerobic digestion occurs naturally, in the absence of oxygen, as bacteria break down organic materials and produce biogas. The process reduces the amount of material and produces biogas, which can be used as an energy source. This technology is commonly used throughout the United States to break down sewage sludge at wastewater treatment facilities. In the past few years, there has been a movement to start adding food waste to anaerobic digesters already in place at wastewater treatment facilities.
    This proposal provides setup costs for a pilot test of an anaerobic digestion process to determine if a full-scale digester prototype is feasible.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Arboretum Native Plantings Award Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Native Plants at Arboretum
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The University of Illinois Arboretum has historically showcased formal displays of annual ornamental plants and selected trees. There is increased interest in developing plots and displays of native plants, especially those that are beneficial to pollinators. This project will introduce a variety of such native plants into several settings at the Arboretum. The Arboretum intends to use the plantings as an outdoor laboratory that will be used for formal and informal education about the role of native plants in provision of ecosystem services such as pollination adn improving soil quality. The experience gained will lay the ground work for future expansion of the concept including large plantings within selected locations and patches of clearly labeled plants that will allow visitors to learn their names and characteristics.
    The plantings will also provide physical examples of how small plantings can be used in personal and commercial landscapes. The use of perennial native plants will help the Arboretum assess the potential to save money and other resources by using more plants that do not have to be repurchased and replanted annually. The native plants along with improved habitat conditions will support a large number of local pollinators and other insect and bird species that are increasingly threatened by loss of habitat, and provide an instructional resource for university classes and local schools.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Award Letter - Baseline Waste Characterization

    Associated Project(s): 
    Waste Stream Characterization Study Phase 2
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The primary deliverable of this proposed project is to provide a detailed waste characterization assessment for three facilities located throughout the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois. Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls (LAR), Business Instructional Facility (BIF), Roger Adams Laboratory(RAL) are facilities that will be characterized.
    This proposal builds upon the initial waste characterizations conducted in the Spring of 2013 for four buildings: Henry Administration Building, Alice Campbell Alumni Center, Swanlund Administration Building, and Illini Union Bookstore.
    The objective of the assessments is to characterize the waste generated from a Lab building, a classroom building and a housing building. The primary goal of the waste stream characterization study is to provide UIUC with an accurate and precise baseline measurement of the solid waste generated at each facility type. ISTC will assist F&S in identifying and implementing practices and technologies that will reduce waste, increase landfill diversion, increase recycling revenues, and decrease waste disposal costs. These efforts will help UIUC to become an example of a sustainable campus, and will provide new learning and teaching opportunities for the university and community at large. The ancillary deliverables are various direct educational programing opportunities both structured as well as passive.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Award Letter - Biomass for Vermicomposting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Vermicompost
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The SSC awarded the Sustainable Student Farm a grant in 2013 to build a transplant greenhouse that also housed a vermicomposting pilot porject with Dining Services. This was meant to test the feasability of collecting pre-consumer food waste from the Dining hall facilities and converting it into worm compost for use on the student farm. In its first year of operation the greenhouse has been heated soley from propane, which is the most common and simplest heating system for these types of greenhouses. The nature of the worms used in this type of composting require an ideal temperature range of 40-80F. In order to attain this, the greenhouse needs to be heated during the winter months.

    In 2014 the greenhouse consumed approximately 1600 gallons of propane for heating. At an average price of $2 this equals $3200/year in heating costs. By comparison if the biomass furnace is used and can replace 80% of the heating requirements that would only cost $1664/year in heating costs. The main reaplacement fuel would be #2 Shell Corn @ 15% moisture. This is readily available in the midwest and costs on average about $3.5/bushel. It would take about 366 bushels of corn to replace the BTU’s provided by the propane. The nature of managing the biomass furnace would allow us to replace only 80% of the heating requirements for the greenhouse. Future development of these furnaces could one day replace the requirement completely. However, the propane system will be kept as a back up.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Award Letter - Demo Cargo Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    The idea for the project came after noticing most trucks on campus are only hauling small loads compared to the capacity they were made for. We believe we could switch many transportation tasks over to human powered vehicles. We are hoping we can use a demonstration cargo bike to show different departments how they can use sustainable transportation rather than large fossil fuel powered trucks. We want the departments to see how useful cargo bikes can be and then buy their own. This would not only save money, reduce pollution and congestion, but open up opportunities for student workers who do not have driver’s licenses to do these tasks. This would open up more jobs for students on campus as well as let them participate in sustainable transportation which they could then take and implement after they graduate.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Award Letter - IFSI Filtration

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Fire Service Institute: LEED Silver
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This project is aimed at ensuring that water runoff from firefighter training at the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute is not introducing carbonaceous material into a nearby stream. This project will improve sustainability in that the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute will ensure that water leaving the training ground is clean and non-turbid. Doing so will avoid violating the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, and will allow IFSI to continue to serve the over 60,000 students it reaches annual on the campus in Champaign and throughout Illinois. It will exceed campus standards because this project is a proactive solution, focusing on solving a problem that has not yet resulted in an EPA citation, local complaint, or significant environmental issue. This project addresses improvements necessary to ensure that only clean water is discharged. Other solutions have been investigated, and this solution has the broadest support and is the most complete solution.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Award Letter - Bike Share

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bike Sharing
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Illini Bikes

    In Spring 2011, SSC funded a bike sharing feasibility study, and it established a three-tier approach to bike sharing. However, it was found that no improvements to developing a bike sharing could begin until the bike infrastructure was significantly improved. In the last 4 years, there have been vast improvements and new infrastructure plans are continuing to be implemented.

    The UIUC Pilot Bike Share program is a proposal for a two year pilot bike share program. This pilot program will be a 50 bike fleet. It will be using a new approach to bike sharing through smart locks. Smart locks contain all the technology for the bike-sharing program linked to a smart phone. The smart locks will allow for versatility in the type of bikes to use within the system and where the bikes could be located. iSEE is exploring a collaboration with BitLock for the smart locks and Neutral Cycle for the bikes.

    This two-year pilot bike-sharing program is in with collaboration with CUMTD, City of Urbana, City of Champaign, and CUPHD (CU Bike Share Task Force) in creating a bike share program on campus that can be scalable into the community. The desired outcome is to design a bike share program that is equitable and gives students the best access to traveling around campus, while reducing our carbon footprint.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Award Letter - Gadget Garage

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Gadget Garage [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    ISTC proposes to launch a center, using seed funding from SSC, where UI students and staff will bring their personal electronic devices for assistance with assessment and repair. We call this center the Illini Gadget Garage (hereafter referred to as “Gadget Garage” or “Garage”).
    Using the same “collaborative repair” model employed at the campus bike shop and MakerSpace Urbana (http://makerspaceurbana.org/projects/computer-help-desk/), clients with devices in need of repair/troubleshooting will work together with Gadget Garage student staff and volunteers to perform the necessary device assessment and maintenance activities. Depending upon the situation, activities may range from guidance on how to make your computer/device run faster to actual repair and replacement of components.

    Desired outcomes for students, staff, and the community include:

    1. Hands on experiences for UI students, not only in terms of performing repairs, but also in process documentation and fostering sustainable behavior on a larger scale through the iFixit Technical Writing Project; marketing and business operations; lessons in industrial design for repair and recyclability; and in environmental education and communication.
    2. Increased awareness of electronics laws and recycling options.
    3. Increased awareness of sustainability issues surrounding electronic products throughout their lifecycles.
    4. Decreased misconceptions regarding the disposability of devices and prohibitive complexity of electronics repair and maintenance.
    5. Contribution to the overall efforts to make ours a more sustainable campus with a reduced carbon footprint.
    Attached Files: 

  19. Award Letter - Union Water Fountains

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Fountain Retrofit
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics

    Currently, the Illini Union has a variety of water fountains in the facility, totaling 16 units. Select fountains were retrofitted in 2009 with “goose-neck” style bottle filler fixtures, however these are susceptible to damage and not filtered. Ten units in public areas are funded for replacement in this project with Elkay fountains that have built in bottle refill stations. These water fountains will make it much easier to fill water bottles than the current water fountains and provide filtered, cool water to students and guests. These fill stations will also track the number of bottles saved from the land fill and will provide this information on an LED screen at the top of the refill station. The LED screens on each water fountain can be used as an educational resource for all users. These new Elkay water fountains will encourage everyone to refill their water bottles because each unit provides a real time digital display of the number of bottles saved from the landfill.

    Attached Files: 

  20. Award Letter - Japan House Bikes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Japan House and Arboretum Bicycle Parking
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Japan House and the University of Illinois Arboretum request funding to provide bike racks on their grounds. There are currently no available bike racks in the 57-acre Arboretum and Japan House grounds. Japan House is the site of University classes and the Arboretum is frequently used as a resource for classes from units such as Landscape Architecture, and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. In addition, the Arboretum and the Japan House Gardens are a major recreational resource for students, faculty and staff and the general public. The Japan House offices are located at the site and students routinely ask where they should lock up their bikes. Currently, with no bike racks, bikers are forced to lock bikes to benches, lampposts, etc. Funding is supplied for the installation of two six loop bike racks and pavers (to ensure that the surface is permeable), and related biking signage.

    Attached Files: 

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