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  1. Natural Resources Building Prairie Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Small Prairie at Natural Resources Building
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to support a prairie initiative at the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability. The institute will use its greenhouses to begin growing sustainable, native plants for use on campus. Additionally, INRS will design and plant a prairie landscape on the south side of the Natural Resource Building. This prairie will be maintained as a permanent exhibit for the public and featured during their annual open house, Naturally Illinois. A written and video instructional manual will be produced as a

    learning tool as an important element of this project, which will assist the campus and others in installing and maintaining other sustainable landscaping projects. This project will thus help meet the commitments made by the campus relating to sustainable landscaping, as part of the Climate Action Plan. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $20,000.

    Attached Files: 

  2. ISTC Campus Water Use Study

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Conservation [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal looks to reduce the usage of water on campus by conducting a study of the “true cost” of water used campus. The project first seeks to determine the quantity of water used and extrapolate the “true cost” of this water. From this point, the project wishes to study the quality of water currently being discharged as “blowdown” with the hope of finding a mechanism of reuse. With this data, pathways of water consumption reduction are expected to be identified. The identification of said pathways will allow for examination of differing methods of water use reduction. Following this, mechanisms of reuse of wastewater in areas such as landscape irrigation will be studied. The project is expected to then result in the ability of water to be reused in whatever locations are most cost-effective. The project itself is not going to result in any tangible change in the short-run, but it is expected to yield data that can be used by campus departments such as F&S for the eventual reduction of campus water-usage. Its goals fall into line with the Climate Action Plan, which outlines a 40% reduction of campus water usage by 2025. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $10,000. 

    Attached Files: 

  3. Green Cleaning Products and Practices Funding Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Cleaning Products and Practices
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to provide funding to purchase and testing of the Activeion Ionator EXP Cleaning System to use and evaluate in daily cleaning operations in major buildings on the University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. This project will displace the use of chemicals for cleaning, reducing operating costs, natural resource use, and improving indoor air quality for all individuals on campus. This will thus help the University make its operations more sustainable, and Facilities and Services will also document their experience as a case study for other campus and community entities to emulate. On successful completion of the pilot, the Committee hopes to receive a proposal to help fund large-scale adoption of this cleaning system on campus. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding this proposal in the amount of $9,000.

    Attached Files: 

  5. Campus Bike Center Funding Letter

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

    This proposal seeks to fund 50% of the cost of part-time shop manager position as transition assistance to become fully self-supporting. This grant will help the Campus Bike Project become a financially sound, self-sufficient, self-funded shop, where all operating costs are recouped through memberships and the sale of recycled refurbished bicycles, new and used parts and accessories. The Campus Bike project is a cooperative where students can learn how to repair and maintain their bike for transportation throughout the year. The campus bike project provides significant services toward increasing bicycle use on campus, and has received significant previous investment from F&S, the Committee and the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $7,500.

    Attached Files: 

  6. Composting Feasibility Study

    Associated Project(s): 
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to complete a feasibility study re: composting of campus food waste. The scope of work for this study includes evaluation of proposed composting sites and identification of the optimal location, specification of necessary site improvements, verification of analysis regarding program size and logistics and development of a program plan with capital equipment needs. This study will enable establishment of a food-waste program that will divert ~600 tons of foodwaste from the landfill annually (and accompanying methane and CO2 emissions), in support of the Illinois Climate Action Plan, and campus waste reduction goals. This project is also being supported by $7,400 funding from the Office of Sustainability. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $15,000.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Bike Sharing Feasibility Study

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bike Sharing Feasibility Study
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to conduct a feasibility study off different options for implementing a bike-sharing program at the University of Illinois. A feasibility study for this project is a necessary step before implementation of a campus bike sharing project can be considered, in line with the Illinois Climate Action Plan. University bike-sharing programs exist in different forms across the country and the challenge is finding a model that will be highly used by students as well as being mostly self-sustaining. Committee funds will be used to support a half-time summer intern as well as for other expenses relevant to the study, with any unspent funds held for implementation of improvements to campus bicycle parking infrastructure. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $10,000.

    Attached Files: 

  9. Allerton Geothermal Project Funding Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at Allerton Park
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to install a geothermal system at the Evergreen lodge and Retreat Center. The Evergreen Lodge is a 2828 sq. ft. structure used as lodging facilities for retreat center guests. The installation will result in energy savings of ~ $2,000 annually and provide the University with experience in handling geothermal installations – none of which are currently installed at the University. This project is also being supported by grant funds from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities. Committee funds will be utilized for purchase and installation of equipment, such as a ground source heat pump unit, as well as drilling of borehole heat exchange pipes. Additionally, Allerton park has agreed to install an on-site educational display about geothermal energy. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $18,000.

    Attached Files: 

  10. BLUE Retrocommissioning info

    Associated Project(s): 
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)
    Building a Lasting University Environment (BLUE) [ARCHIVED]

    Retrocommissioning is an in-depth analysis of a building’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.  This program restores peak operating conditions while optimizing the control strategies for energy conservation, sustainability, and client comfort.   

    Since August of 2007, engineering teams have accomplished system updates and upgrades in 16 campus buildings for an average energy reduction of 28%. 

  11. Tom Ferrarell volunteers to revamp the Weatherization project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings [ARCHIVED]

    Tom Ferrarell has agreed to work this summer to review and revamp the Weatherization project.  Last year, the student intern, James Hoffer, focused his efforts on creating the attached Weatherization Manual.  James worked for F&S under the supervision of Dean Henson, in Building Maintenance.  Suhail provided the copy of the manual, the BRC checklist, and the sample audit forms for Tom to read through.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Suhail Barot requests a meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings [ARCHIVED]

    -----Original Message-----
    From: sfbarot@gmail.com [mailto:sfbarot@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Suhail Barot
    Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 1:29 PM
    To: Henson, K Dean (Facilities & Services); Johnston, Morgan (Facilities & Services); Sweeney, Eva M (Facilities & Services)
    Subject: Meeting Request re: student weatherization and building assessment

    Hi folks,

    This spring, the SSC partnered with F&S on a student building weatherization assessment program. We had student teams coordinated by an intern (both paid) that worked to assess buildings and collect data. In the midst of the end of the semester, I'm not sure how much they did, or how useful it was, but I've requested information from the intern, James Hoffer, regarding all that.

    I'd like to meet and discuss how this program should operate next term, sometime during mid- June. I've included Eva on this because she had some stuff that students could do re: lighting assessments.

    Suhail Barot

    M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, 2009. Graduate Student, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chair, Student Sustainability Committee, Treasurer, University YMCA Student Board, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Phone: 1-815-260-7961

  16. Retrocommissioning award application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award [ARCHIVED]
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)

    The Retro-commissioning (RCx) team applied for (and later won) the Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award in 2011.  RCx at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was established in 2007 and has been working to reduce energy consumption in campus buildings by repairing and optimizing their air and hydronic systems and restoring buildings to their required operating standards.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Update from James Hoffer

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings [ARCHIVED]

    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: James Hoffer <jhoffer2@illinois.edu>
    Date: Tue, May 17, 2011 at 11:04 AM
    Subject: Project Completion Tasks
    To: Suhail Barot <sbarot@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Jennifer Koys <jennifer.koys@gmail.com>


    Hi Suhail,

    There are a couple of things that I wanted to ask you about regarding the completion of this portion of the project.

    I have completed looking over the assessments I received.  Only 5 of the houses were completed.  The majority of the things found wrong with the houses were cleanliness/obstruction issues with vents and baseboards and window problems.  I have left the lists of things that could be fixed on the F&S computer that I worked on and I will email it to Dean.  I am not sure exactly what he will want to fix or leave alone, I still have to discuss with him. 

    This is not nearly as many houses as I wanted to get done, and I think this is simply because they ran out of time.  I do not think this part was a failure though, as it will provide good insight to changes that need to be made in the future.  One of the most important things will be to have hard deadlines for the teams to have completed their assessments by. 

    I have not received any more emails regarding my position next year.  I do not know if you have talked with Hannah yet or decided what will happen.  Next year there is a good chance that I will be at U of I and working for F&S on a different project.  I believe it will be very easy for me to pass on the work to whoever you choose and help them get the feel for it.  Please let me know when you have selected a person or if you would like me to select one.  I will need to talk with them before the start of next semester.

    I left the supply box on the table of the room in the YMCA.

    Please inform as to what you would like me to do at this point.

    Thanks,
    James
     

  19. Feasibility Study approved by SSC and CCRC

    Associated Project(s): 
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting

    SSC confirmed funding of $15,000 for composting feasibility study 5/9/11.  Study approved 5/12/11 by Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee (CCRC) with Fall 2011 completion target.  Proposal requested from Retainer A/E Foth Engineering, which was also the A/E on the previous composting project before it was cancelled.

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