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  1. Solar Decathlon 2011 Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Solar Decathlon
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to provide funding for student education centered around the University of Illinois’s participation in the 2011 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Competition. Each student team participating in this prestigious, international competition is required to build an entirely solar-powered 800 sq. foot house with innovative design features. This grant will provide funds for the development of new courses and enhancement of existing courses, provisioning of course materials and software, and the sponsorship of guest lecturers and consultants ($25,000), the employment of graduate students in coordinating roles for education and volunteer engagement activities ($15,000), and student travel associated with the competition ($10,000). The last UI entry in the Solar Decathlon competition engaged hundreds of students and was the highest-placed US finisher in the Competition; furthermore this participation will require the team to raise $700,000 at a time of severe campus budget constraints. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding this proposal in the amount of $50,000.

    Attached Files: 

  2. Prairie Project Instructional Workshop Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Prairie Project Instructional Workshop
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The Prairie Project is a faculty development workshop with the objective of preparing faculty (and aspiring faculty) to teach on issues of sustainability and to introduce such material into existing campus coursework. The project will reach an interdisciplinary group of 18 faculty members who teach courses reaching thousands of students, and helping achieve campus objectives around sustainability education. This workshop will also serve as a pilot project for larger workshop activities in future years. Committee funds will be used to provide a modest honorarium for participants, who undertake to make modifications to a course that they will teach next year. This workshop is being hosted by the campus Office of Sustainability, and funding support in equal amounts is also being provided by the Office of Sustainability and the Environmental Change Institute. Thus the Committee recommends funding this program in the amount of $5,000.

    Attached Files: 

  3. Occupancy Sensors Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Occupancy and Daylight Sensors
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal looks to install occupancy sensors in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, lounges, and other public areas in twenty heavily used campus buildings, chosen according to the number of student contact hours. This project will reduce energy usage by 30% in affected areas, saving the campus approximately $18,000 per year in energy costs (based on a $0.0689/kWh rate), and reduce emissions by nearly 440,000 lbs of CO2 equivalent. This highly visible effort is expected to increase student and community awareness of the impact of reducing lighting usage. These sensors will serve as a lasting and permanent public statement of campus commitment to responsible sustainable behavior. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the fully requested amount of $50,000.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Course Development and Enhancement (ECI) Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    ECI Educational Funding
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    For FY2010, the Student Sustainability Committee chose to solicit proposals for the development or enhancement of courses related to sustainability jointly with the Environmental Change Institute. Such a program allows the Committee to select proposals to support, while leaving project management and administration to a better-suited entity. The program received ten proposals for consideration, out of which the following six proposals were chosen for funding:   ENGR 298 – LINC Bike Sharing – Prof. Bruce Litchfield - $5,000   LA 390/590 – Landscapes, Sustainability, & Human Health – Prof. Bill Sullivan - $2,420   PHYCS 150 – How Nature Works – Prof. Scott Willenbrock - $4,790   GEOG 130 - Social Science Approaches to Environment-Society Relations – Prof. Tom Bassett - $5,000   ME 470 – Senior Design – Prof. Stephen Platt - $4,000   BADM 532 / 533 – Sustainable Product and Market Development for Sustainable Marketplaces – Prof Madhu Viswanathan - $5,000   The ECI is committing $13,420 in support of an additional course and matching SSC allocations to two of the above courses. All courses participating in this program will meet program requirements established by the ECI and SSC, submit materials to the ECI for archiving and participate in the ECI’s annual symposium. Thus the Committee recommends funding this program in the amount of $26,210.

    Attached Files: 

  5. Campus Rec Water Conservation Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Rec Water Conservation Incentives
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Water conservation initiatives have generally taken a back seat to energy conservation at the University of Illinois. Campus Recreation has proposed a comprehensive upgrade of restroom facilities in all three of their buildings, with the potential of reducing water consumption by almost 6.5 million gallons annually. This work would be highly visible to students and in a fellow student-fee supported unit. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of proving upto $30,000 in incentives at the rate of $0.30 per $1.00 spent.

    Attached Files: 

  6. Thin Clients for Green Computing Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Chip PC Thin Client
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal looks to improve the energy efficiency of campus computing by expanding the use of thin client hardware and infrastructure. The effort will build on previous successful thin computing studies, scaling up the initiative to make thin clients available to a wider campus audience. Thin clients use 95% less energy than traditional desktop computers, which can significantly reduce campus energy expense and carbon emissions. Further, thin clients have a 10 year life-span, compared to the 3-4 year useful life of a traditional desktop computer, resulting in better utilization and ultimately less e-waste. To encourage the expansion of this more sustainable model of computing, this project seeks to make thin clients available at reduced costs for campus units. $40,000 of the grant would fund thin client devices, licenses, and associated Terminal Server client access licenses (CALs) at a rate up of to $200 or 50% of costs, whichever is lower. At least 200 thin clients will be made available at discounted rates for campus units; additional funding will come directly from units’ allocated budgets for replacement computer hardware. Purchase commitments for atleast 100 devices have made made by the College of FAA, and additional commitments have been made by Swanlund System Services and Campus Recreation. The remaining $5,000 of the grant would compensate Webstore/CITES for server/virtual machine investments. As more and more locations will have thin clients visible, students, faculty, and visitors will realize the benefits of this sustainable computing solution. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the fully requested amount of $45,000.

    Attached Files: 

  7. Concern with stewardship efforts

    Associated Project(s): 
    Prairie Restoration at Florida & Orchard

    Pizzo & Associates donated labor and materials to the prairie area at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street. Jack Pizzo, President and Senior Ecologist of Pizzo and Associates, emailed the stakeholders of the plot on July 1, 2010 to formally express his concern with the upkeeping of the plot.

    His letter is below and attached is the Memorandum of Agreement for Gifts in Kind between Pizzo & Associates and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.


    To: Sustainability Committee



    RE: President's Prairie Planting, Site visit on June 29th 2010



    Dear Fellow Stakeholders,



    I'm writing this letter to formally express my concern with the current status of the ongoing stewardship efforts at the above mentioned site.
    I was onsite yesterday and was completely surprised as to the unkempt condition of the planting. The excessive height is out competing the native species.



    My company donated material and labor with the good faith understanding that the prairie areas would be maintained at a level to ensure success. I am fully aware of the abundance of rain and the difficulties this reality presents, but to simply do nothing while the site becomes overgrown constitutes neglect of the most egregious nature.



    As a group we cannot afford failure of this magnitude and visibility.  I am writing to call your attention to the current site conditions and to highlight the necessity of prompt action.  As a professional in the business of ecological restoration and as a graduate of the University, I am confident the solution to our problem lies within the team we have assembled.  In the near term, the entire site needs to be mowed and treated selectively with herbicide.  In the long term, a more consistent stewardship plan needs to be developed and implemented to prevent the current situation from occurring in the future.


    I am fully aware that traditional management means may not work with the soils that are currently saturated soils but most of the site is dry enough to mow. From experience, I can recommend a number of alternative treatments including using: a walk behind mower, a sickle bar mower, brush cutting with Stihl FS-250 brush cutters or manual cutting with Christmas tree knives.  The cut material needs to be removed due to the excessive height since all of that debris will smother the seedlings. Either way, something needs to be done to bring the vegetation under control and prevent further seeding impedance. This needs to be done within the next week.



    I don't want to be party to a failure and I know none of you do either.
    A prompt, coordinated response would be most appreciated!



    Please keep me in the loop as to the efforts.



    Best regards,



    Jack

    Attached Files: 

  10. 2010 iCAP commitment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    The 2010 iCAP executive summary included this commitment:

    "The University will establish a dedicated, centrally coordinated funding pool for energy conservation projects within the next three years. This “clean energy” fund will allow for both internal (student fees, faculty contributions, staff contributions, energy savings reinvestment, capital programs), and external (programs, rebates, donations, outside investors) participation. It will be established as a capital infusion and coordination mechanism aimed at physical energy and energy cost reductions that also allows for the sustained maintenance of these investments."

  11. iCAP completed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Wind Turbine Generator(s) on South Farms
    Illinois: A Climate Action Plan (2010 iCAP)
    Use Clean Power

    In May 2010, iCAP was completed with the following goals (for the wind project):

    • Goal is to eventually make the U of I carbon neutral by 2050
    • Describes a path toward the fulfillment of the commitment of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (signed by University in 2008)
    • Among the commitment the University is making in order to achieve carbon neutrality goal is renewable energy
    • Target: “Strive to meet the requirements for renewable energy generation in the ILRPS both on campus (priority) and off campus (if necessary) as follows:
      • 5 percent of total campus energy from renewable sources by fiscal year 2015
      • 17.5 percent of total campus energy from renewable sources by fiscal year 2020
      • 25 percent of total campus energy from renewable sources by fiscal year 2025
      • End coal usage at Abbott Power Plant by 2017”
    • Among the 5 strategies to do this: “Install at least three utility-scale wind turbines on the south campus, with a minimum of one to be installed by 2011”
    Attached Files: 

  12. 2010 iCAP Solar goals

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus

    The 2010 iCAP included goals to increase renewable energy on campus.  Regarding solar energy, the 2010 iCAP said, "A full study for solar electric or thermal energies has not yet been conducted. Estimates of the built campus area of ~5 square kilometers can likely accommodate 5 percent solar photovoltaic (PV) array coverage as rooftop solar—or about 250,000 square meters, with peak generation capacity of 25 MW, and generating 45 million kWh of electricity. This has the potential to displace 10 percent of current campus electricity usage. Potential for larger tracking arrays on the South Farms also exists."  It also included the strategy, "Increase the amount of solar photovoltaic and thermal projects."

  13. Open House, April 2010

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    The Campus Bike Project, located at 608 East Pennsylvania Ave. in Champaign, will hold an open house on Friday, April 23, from noon to 5 p.m. in conjunction with Earth Day. Tours will be available every hour, on the hour, at 12 noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.

    Attached Files: 

  15. 2010 Waste Reduction Plan

    Associated Project(s): 
    Establish a Net Zero Waste Plan and Policy

    From: Wegel, Carl V (Facilities & Services)
    Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 3:31 PM
    To: Dempsey, John G (Facilities & Services)
    Subject: FW: Waste Reduction Plan 2010

     

    Jack,

     

    I asked Tracy to proceed.  We should be good for another 5 years.

     

    Carl

     

    From: Osby, Tracy L (Facilities & Services)
    Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 5:35 PM
    To: Wegel, Carl V (Facilities & Services)
    Subject: Waste Reduction Plan 2010

    Carl,

     

    I have made the adjustments that were recommended and Tim has adjusted the numbers as needed. Unless notified differently, tomorrow Wednesday 3/31/10, I will proceed to send an e-version to:

     

    David E. Smith, Manager

    Illinois College Assistance Program for Recycling and Waste reduction (I-CAP)

    Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

    620 East Adams - CIPS 5

    Springfield, IL 62701 - 1615

     

    I will also have to send via U.S. mail an original and three copies (signed), as it is required according to the guidelines. Thanks

     

    Tracy Osby
    Facilities and Services
    Coordinator Of Campus Waste Management (Interim)
    Waste Transfer Station
    10 E. St. Mary's Road
    Champaign, IL 61820
    (217) 244 - 7283
    tosby@illinois.edu
     

    Attached Files: 

  16. Campus Bike Project soft opening, March 2010

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    The Campus Bike Project (later named the Campus Bicycle Shop) opened in March of 2010 during Naturally Illinois and began serving the campus for 16 hours per week (open Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, and Sunday and Tuesday evenings).

    A press release was sent out and is attached here.

    Attached Files: 

  17. High Tunnels

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Student Farm

    The Student Sustainable Farm began using high tunnels, which allow for year-round production. The farm will begin with salad greens, leaf lettuce, and braising greens.

  19. Funding for employee from F&S Executive Director

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    This afternoon, I verified with Jack Dempsey that he is still willing to fund a 900-HR extra-help employee for the first year of the new Campus Bike Project.  The employee will be paid $12.00 per hour for 900 hours, so the full cost is $10,800. - Morgan Johnston

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