UIUC's Yu-Feng Lin was featured on a "wired" article. Andrew Stumpf explains, "The authors did a simulation for a residential district in Chicago. They don’t provide much detail about the geology and hydrogeology that is the basis for the geotechnical model. In Chicago, aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) has yet to be used because groundwater is pretty scarce in the shallow subsurface and one would need to tap aquifers deeper in the bedrock. In the northern and western suburbs, the subsurface conditions in the glacial deposits is much better and I believe Kane County is looking into using the aquifers for a geothermal resource."

The article can be found at: https://www.wired.com/story/the-massive-batteries-hidden-beneath-your-fe...

UIUC newsletter: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/32/64507332.html 

The referenced article is attached.

From Joy Scrogum on April 11, 2023: ISTC transferred this project to the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in January 2019. To my knowledge, CITL held maybe 1-2 repair events in 2019, but ended the project because they didn’t have adequate support to hire a student coordinator, and one of the staff members who took it on was promoted and had less time to attend to the project.

Hi Tony,

 

I met with folks from Housing yesterday about incorporating sustainability into RA training. Eric and Daphne were also on the call. We identified a few approaches for sharing content. I now need your help developing the materials.

 

One approach is to provide a short (3 min max) video for RAs to view, followed by questions to assess learning. As a framework, I suggest we use the sustainability guide that the interns developed with Meredith (attached). Do you have any video content that would be appropriate? The student training video is too long, but hits all the highlights. Is this something you could shorten? We need to send the video by mid/late June.

 

A second approach is to provide content for a microlearning session that would pair with the facilities session. They prefer a mixed mode approach, i.e., not just lecture/slides. We need to provide the content within the next two weeks. Is this doable? I shared the sustainability guide with them and am awaiting feedback.

 

A third approach is to distribute materials during the RA resource fair, which is held August 10th.

 

Finally, Housing is open to sharing information via their “Housing Insider” newsletter and digital platforms. It would be great to have your help developing content for those.  

 

Let me know what you think and we can also touch base at the management meeting today.

 

Thanks,

Jen

Hi Yun, Tom, and Joe,

 

Here are the links for the original SWATeam recommendation, the iCAP Working Group assessment, the F&S response, and the link to the energy modeling page: https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/energy005-modeling-energy-code-compliance-successful.  The original recommendation is attached here, and the iWG assessment says, “We recommend that Facilities & Services assign a staff member from Capital Programs or Utilities and Energy Services (possibly from Design Review) to work with Dr. Yun Yi’s class to develop the related energy models, on a timeline that matches the academic course abilities.”

 

This is the link directly to the Energy Modeling project page on the iCAP Portal:https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/energy-models-campus-facilities.

 

Thanks,

Morgan

-----------------------------

Hello All

 

I like to follow up with our last discussion. 

To check any update on the list of possible buildings for energy modeling next semester.

 

Many thanks

Yun

 

-------------------------

Yun,

 

Apologies. This slipped off my radar for a bit. I will get those to you as soon as I can.

 

Tom

--------------------------

Yun,

 

Here are some with interesting designs:

1.       0409 – ECE – Chilled beam and dedicated outdoor air unit (DOAU). Energy recovery.

2.       1517 – Design Ctr. – Passive chilled beam, variable air-volume (VAV), DOAU. Energy recovery.

3.       1545 – Campus Instr. Fac. – Chilled radiant, hot radiant, and DOAU. Geothermal. Energy recovery.

 

Here are some smaller ones that may be easier to complete/complete more:

1.       0154 – Personnel Services Bldg. – Packaged chiller, steam perimeter heat, constant volume fan-coil units.

2.       1528 – African Am. Cultural Ctr. – VAV.

3.       1584 – RIPE Greenhouse – Packaged direct expansion (DX), geothermal.

 

I hi-lighted the one with a complete native energy model on-hand (I modeled the building and performed several lifecycle cost analysis). Several of those have PDF energy files that could be used as a back-check or instructional piece if desired.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

 

-----------------------

Hi Tom,

 

Thanks for sharing a list with me. I am wondering if there is little more typical (education/office} buildings and with some meter data.

Could you be able to recommend a few of the buildings in this criteria?

 

Many thanks

Yun

-----------------------

Hi Yun,

 

Most all of our buildings have metering at some level (minimum utility level). Some of the buildings we discussed and I was thinking of are:

 

0339 – Temple Buell Hall – This one is big and has a complex initial design and re-commissioning history. Series-flow fan-powered VAV (original). Frankenstiened to VAV bu re-commissioning group.

0209 – Speech and Hearing – AHUs replaced recently and a small/medium sized building. VAV.

0075 – Children’s Research Ctr. - AHUs replaced recently and a small/medium sized building. Constant volume re-heat.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

------------------------

Hi Tom,

 

Many thanks for the additional list. Sorry for the confusion, I meant real-time meter or sub-meter buildings that students can look into more detail.

However, these buildings are good candidates for the class.

I am wondering if F&S can share a building list that has some kind of information on building age, energy consumption, and buildings that have some type of energy model simulation outcome or results. 

 

Many thanks

Yun

----------------------

Hello Everyone,

 

Hope everyone had a nice winter break. Sorry for the delay.

The class went well and I have EnergyPlus models and reports from the students that I can share with you.

I'd like to ask my TA to review the students' models to ensure they were done correctly before sending them to you.

I hope you can wait a few more weeks, but I can send you the reports if you'd like to see them.

 

Best

Yun

----------------------

Hi Tom,

 

Sorry for the delay. I thought that after getting tenured, I would have more time to work on the project, but I was wrong.

Anyway, thanks for waiting. I have all the calibrated and reviewed DesignBuilder files and reports in the following folder.

If you'd like, I can convert the DB file to an EPW file for your convenience.

lease let me know if you'd like to discuss the outcome of the report.

I'm happy to talk about the next group of buildings that we can model.

 

Best

Yun

April 5, 2023 Green Research Committee (Kick Off) Meeting 1

Present: Lisa Moore, Daphne Hulse, Stephanie Hess, Jeremy Neighbors, Jennifer Fraterrigo, Chad Stevens, Shari Effert-Fanta, Sabrina Summers, Morgan White, Mitchell Bryant, Timothy Mies, Maisie Kingren, Paul Foote, Patty Jones, Susan Martinis, Madhu Khanna

Absent: Ehab Kamarah

Charge:

• Look at what others do.
  
  • Makes it less onerous.
  • Check in with our peer institutions
• Check in with our iCAP.
• Structure what we come up with in short- and long-term goals. We have a tight timeline and a broad objective overall.

Discussion:

• Two graduate students joined, which is very valuable to us.
• Deadline to show ideas and progress and present to Ehab, Madhu, and Susan, by May. Jeremy & Stephanie will give this update and summarize what is discussed now and a general timeline going forward.
• Morgan’s been thinking about this for 7 or 8 years, and is excited to see it come to fruition. The core is that researchers are making huge changes and breakthroughs to address climate change but we’re still buying plastic and throwing it away, leaving fume hoods open, etc. How to integrate it into research without jeopardizing the research itself, is the question to explore.
• Messaging must be very cautious to balance safety with sustainability.
• Opportunity to review the iCAP 2020 or 2015 objectives to identify how it applies today.
• Green Research as opposed to Green Labs: allows us to be more broad in our approach.
• Paul Foote spent a year just doing a Green Labs Program so he has tremendous experience and background knowledge on the subject. Don’t reinvent the wheel. I2SL, My Green Lab are good resources to look at.
• Mitchell: Not a lot of knowledge about how to dispose of waste safely (information deficit), so he sees a lot of improper disposal as a student. A lot of opportunity for energy reduction in labs. Concerted effort across campus is necessary, but can we add the carrot (incentive) as well?
• Tim: ACES, South Farms, see inconsistency with how waste is disposed of. Some go through Waste Transfer, others go through Area Disposal. Researchers want to do the right thing, but most people are strapped on time “how do I do it versus how do I have time in the day?” Growth chamber: big refrigerator with a lot of light bulbs. Remove the heat from lamps. Some people don’t turn them off - maintenance or researchers just forgetting. Think of a way to incentivize this? Support the researchers as much as possible.
• Mitchell thinks is very much falls on the individual to ensure they are following the right instructors (don’t pour stains down the sink, etc.).
• On Stephanie’s mind is a culture change for safety. How can they improve the culture of safety on campus? There is simultaneously a sustainability culture we need to grow, too.

How to accomplish this:

• The charge letter had three different goals:
  
  • Break into three groups and each would tackle one of those before the next meeting.
    
    • On-site wet and dry research labs, off-site UIUC research labs, agriculture land and field sites
    • Develop a program whereby groups and departments can qualify for a Green Lab or Green Research certification. Contribute to the iCAP goals.
    • Outline a framework to recommend building-specific plans for safe energy conservation
• Sub-teams in Teams is how we will communicate among our teams.
• Cadence of meetings?
  
  • Big meeting once per month, small groups on the week between (each team has a delegate for scheduling meetings for their group)
  • October deliverables - so we have until the end of September to work
• Resources to carry this out
  
  • Anything that will require funding we will need to state, justify, estimate cost, expected impact from the investment.
• Consider reward packages for research groups.
  
  • Rewarding research groups will be key, according to Donald Stevens
• Paul will put together a sheet of how funding in the past has worked, for projects he’s been involved with. Give the group an idea of how we can tap into funds.
• Stephanie: think about connections you have, things you can tap into.
  
  • Ex: TV screens in lab settings for safety communication. Interest from researchers for this, especially if they can get it for free. A way to communicate without needing paper. Where can we ask for favors?
• Jen’s concern: how can we get voices from other researchers on campus and oversee labs: find opportunities and barriers?
  
  • Paul: successful programs have Green Ambassadors who can be a voice for the labs and can brainstorm together what will work for different labs.
  • Group agrees that more faculty PIs should be included in the conversation.
• Donald & Morgan discussion on zero growth space policy - Capital - comes from Deferred Maintenance than any sort of energy-related issue.
• Mitchell Bryant: attending a seminar tomorrow on this topic and will post his notes in Teams