You are here

Project Updates for collection: all

Search

Search tips:

  • This form will search for words in the title OR the description. If you would like to search for the same term(s) across both the title and description, enter the same search term(s) in both fields.
  • This form will search for any of the words you enter in a field, not the exact phrase you enter. If you would like to search for an exact phrase, put double quotes (") around the phrase. For example, if you search for Bike Path you will get results containing either the word Bike OR the word Path, but if you search for "Bike Path" you will get results containing the exact phrase Bike Path.

  1. Weekly Update: Refurbished bicycles, Abandoned bikes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    All, We’re quickly approaching zero stock for refurbished bikes. One particularly eager patron bought two of our more expensive road bikes back-to-back last week. Thankfully, we received 3 bikes in very-good-to-great condition that should—fingers crossed—be on the sales floor for Wednesday.

    We’re in the beginning stages of clearing out abandoned bikes. Approximately 200 will go to CBC/TBP so that’ll help our inventory. The abandoned bikes at the rack in front of the bike center were cut this morning, cleaning up and clearing space for folks to lock there. We’ll be better able to see if any donations have been left, as well.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 21
    Sales: $1,646.75
    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $1,025
    B-a-B: 1 for $50
    Tires/tubes: 15 for $113

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  3. Solar Urbana-Champaign

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus

    From: Marta Monti <marta@midwestrenew.org>
    Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2022 4:34 PM
    To: White, Morgan <mbwhite at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Solar Urbana-Champaign is back!

     

    Alternate text

     

     

     

    Solar Urbana Champaign is back for 2022

    c50d3f4342709f9b5f137ad8_320xauto.None

    2022 marks the seventh year for the Solar Urbana Champaign program. Since 2016, this non-profit-led program has educated 1,292 people about their solar opportunities with our Solar Power Hours presentations, and of those folks, 242 properties decided to go solar.

     

    In partnership with our competitively-selected installer, GRNE Solar, and with support from the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), the City of Urbana, and our growing partners, we're excited to help central Illinois residents go solar and save on their energy costs!   

     

     

    Find us online:

     

     

     

     

    4f14f0209c7f8572452841cb_160xauto.png

    First Benchmark Reached!

     

    Our group buy program uses the power of bulk purchasing to create an economy of scale: the more people who participate, the larger the savings become! This year's program has already passed the first 50 kilowatt benchmark, meaning that participants can look forward to additional savings. Join today and share with friends so we can achieve lower costs for everyone!

     

    Please help spread the word:

     

    Please share the program website or this email with your friends and neighbors or post it on your social media pages.

     

    Remember: the more people that go solar through the Solar Urbana Champaign program, the lower the cost for all!

     

     

     

    160dd54c09e26cbe021c4fe2_213xauto.png

    2c63303d55c89bd66ecd58a3_213xauto.jpeg

    Pull out your yard sign, it's Grow Solar season!

     

    Not sure where it went? No worries, it's been a while. Let us know where to drop it off and we will get you a new one. 

     

     

     

    - UPCOMING SOLAR POWER HOURS -

    Share this schedule with a friend and invite them to start their solar journey with you!

     

    8/11, Thursday: Solar Power Hour, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Papa Del’s Pizza Factory, 1201 S Neil St, Champaign, IL

    8/17, Wednesday: Solar Power Hour, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Danville Public Library, 319 N Vermilion St, Danville, IL

    8/26, Friday: Solar Power Hour, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Big Thorn Farm & Brewery, 14274 600 North Rd, Georgetown, IL – co-hosted by Big Thorn Farm & Brewery

    8/31, Wednesday: Solar Power Hour, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Zoom (click to register)

     

    — BROUGHT TO YOU BY —

     

    69327d52d70af4fe0b80e645_635xauto.png

     

    Questions?

    Throughout the program, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know. I can be reached at marta@midwestrenew.org.

    Sincerely,

    Marta Monti

    MREA Solar Program Manager

    Midwest Renewable Energy Assn (MREA) 

    8b2bf50446f9f69d971f35a9_213xauto.png

    d6ff1ea998d0d6a424866d5e_160xauto.png

    The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration. To learn more about our work, visit midwestrenew.org. 

     

    uy60wam

  4. Weekly Update: Social Ride, Build-a-Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Two weeks back we received three nicer bikes as donations which have proven to be quick fixes. Visit numbers were surprisingly low on Wednesday but that gave us some time to catch up on the piles of wheels and bikes we needed to strip down for parts. Sunday was the Bike Project social ride. On Monday we had a Build-a-Bike completed—a decent hybrid is a great improvement over a too-small roadmaster!—and on Friday we had another member start a Build-a-Bike.

    Got an interview for a new hire this week, the Bike Project Members’ Meeting tonight, and one more of the nicer bikes to fix up.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 19

    Sales: $800.50

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $170

    Build-a-Bike: 1 for $50
    Memberships: 8 for $240

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  9. Herbicide Application @ Orchard Downs Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Meadow at Orchard Downs

    From: Jaquet, Izabelle Sarah
    Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 9:53 AM
    To: Lewis, Brent C; White, Morgan
    Cc: Ward, Michael Patrick; Brunk, Lauren
    Subject: FTGU Herbicide Update

    Hello All,


    I sent an email regarding From The Ground Up's Orchard Down Plot restoration in May and don't believe I received explicit approval for the plan, so I did not initiate further action. Now that the fall semester is upon us, I would like to ask if it's still possible to apply herbicide to the whole plot?


    Thank you so much,
    Izabelle
    --
    Izabelle Jaquet (she/her)
    Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science & Agriculture and Consumer Economics
    University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign| December 2022

  10. Insider article about the Envelope Pilot Project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Building Envelope Pilot Project

    https://fs.web.illinois.edu/Insider/2022/06/16/consider-the-envelope/ 

    "Indoor air quality is important for the health and comfort of occupants. Indoor airtightness can help provide good indoor air quality by making it easier to control the indoor environment with ventilation. Additionally, airtightness is key for energy efficiency. It is not uncommon for discrepancies between expected energy usage and actual energy usage to be explained by air leakage, and so making buildings tight is vital to meet energy and climate goals."

  12. Weekly Update: Build-a-Bike, New Hire, Community Bike Ride on Thursday

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, I was out Mon - Thurs last week sick. My staff covered admirably but, invariably, there are things they were uncomfortable taking on. Just an opportunity for further training! We had one Build-a-Bike be completed and another almost made it out the door at the last minute on Friday.

    On Friday we had a visitor from Danville who is working on an Eagle Scout program rehabbing old bikes and donating them to local charities. We were able to donate 3 bikes and a handful of parts.

    We also had a new hire start on Friday, received a handful of nice bike donations earlier in the week, and will process those donations this week. We’ll also work on getting a few more bikes on the sales floor as we approach August. Or maybe more accurately: AUGUST. It’ll be a doozy of a month.

    On Sunday, July 31st, The Bike Project is hosting a community bike ride, so we’ll let folks know about that.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 18*
    Sales: $499
    Bikes: 1 for $200
    Build-a-Bike: 1 for $50
    Memberships: 1 for $30

    *Likely higher actual #; technical difficulties in my absence.

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  13. Resilience Weekly Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community

    After a brief meeting pause after the Spring semester ended, Stacy Gloss, Meredith Moore, and Morgan White are back to meeting weekly about building resilience in our local community. We met July 21, 2022.

    We discussed:

    -Resilience iCAP Team changes for 2022-23. Stacy Gloss is chair, Scott Tess is Vice Chair

    -Student work & intern opportunities.  We will work with EGN100 first-year students in the fall semester and brainstorm about how to design an internship opportunity for a student to engage in community / campus resilience work.

    -Stacy has begun meeting with Village of Savoy Staff and community partners on a project that addresses equitable youth recovery and economic mobility. The project includes a focus on wellbeing of residents across the seven dimensions of wellnss - mental, phyical, social, financial, spiritual, environmental, and vocational. Savoy has partnered with National League of Cities for the project.

     

  15. Thank You for Attending Geothermal Illinois: Community or District-Level Systems (Renewable Heating and Cooling)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

    The following message was sent to individuals who attended the "Geothermal Illinois: Community - & District-Level Systems" presentation led by Brian Urlaub, Associate Vice President & Director of Geothermal Operations, Salas O'Brien:

    Dear Participants,

     

    Many thanks for attending Geothermal Illinois: Community- & district-level systems, presented by Brian Urlaub, Associate Vice President & Director of Geothermal Operations, SALAS O’BRIEN. Many thanks to the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resource, Energy, and Environment educator Jay Solomon, University of Illinois Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Dr. Tugce Baser, and Illinois Geological Survey’s Andrew Stumpf for presenting additional information on efforts, research, technology, and funding opportunities. We also recognize our network of partnering organizations, whose titles with websites are listed below, along with a link to today’s webinar recording, slide decks, and resource links.

     

    Recording: https://youtu.be/A5x-RVKuIqQ

    Slide Decks: https://uofi.box.com/s/rexji3kosgc4poifqxh21a1x9d2ftjqb 

    Resource Links:

    Funding opportunities:

    https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=ee3f71ec-49e4-40d3-9d27-04d10be90be5

     

    Partner organizations:

    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

    Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition (MBDC)

    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

    Illinois Water Resources Center

    Geothermal Alliance of Illinois

    International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA)

    The Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEOEXCHANGE)

    Prairie Rivers Network

    Citizens Utility Board

    Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition

     

    Many thanks for your interest in today’s topic. Our presenters and experts are copied on this email, and you are welcome to reach out to any of us for further conversation and support as you work towards energy independence, resiliency, and sustainability!

     

    Best wishes,

     

    NANCY OUEDRAOGO


    EXT CED STATE SPEC

  16. Incorporation of Post Consumer Pizza Boxes in the Recovered Fiber Stream Study - WestRock

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    A study was conducted to analyze the impact of incorporating post-consumer pizza boxes in the recovered fiber stream. More specifically, factors such as grease and cheese were primarily observed. The summary of the findings includes the following:

    • The number of pizza boxes placed on the market in the U.S. annually is estimated to be 3 billion boxes equating to 600,000 tons of corrugated board. Pizza boxes represent 1.7% of the 35.9 million tons of corrugated containerboard produced in the U.S. annually.
    • If all pizza boxes were recovered for recycling, they would represent approximately 2.6% of the OCC stream or 2.2% of the OCC and mixed paper stream combined.
    • Pizza boxes currently found in the recycling stream have an average grease content of approximately 1-2% by weight level.
    • Grease is hydrophobic and when pizza boxes approach a 20 wt% concentration of the furnish, grease interference with inter-fiber bonding begins to result in significant paper strength loss (~5%). At pizza box concentrations under 10%, paper strength loss is low.
    • The strength loss as a function of “greasy” fiber and pre-consumer board was almost linear in the 0-20 wt% blend level.
    • Cheese, comprised of fats and proteins, is hydrophilic and does not hinder hydrogen inter-fiber bonding of fibers. Cheese tends to solidify and get screened out during the pulping process.

    To read the study in its entirety, see the attached file.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Illinois Newsroom article: University of Illinois tags students’ bicycles with stickers for campus bike clean-up

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    Illinois Newsroom article by Sydney Wood about "University of Illinois tags students’ bicycles with stickers for campus bike clean-up." Read the article attached or read it online at: https://illinoisnewsroom.org/the-university-of-illinois-tags-students-bi...

    Attached Files: 

  19. Bike at Illinois and University Housing contributions to Bike Month activities

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    Bike at Illinois confirmed an allocation of $5,100 for Bike to Work Day and Light the Night events. Following is the breakdown:

    1. $2,000 towards t-shirts
    2. $1,500 towards the purchase of bike lights
    3. $1,250 towards logistics – Tables, chairs, trash, recycling, and hand sanitizing stations for all 9 campus welcoming stations for BTWD and 3 campus locations for LTN
    4. $350 towards the promotion and advertisement of these events (on campus digital advertising)

    University Housing also agreed to donate food and refreshment at all eight or night campus BTWD welcoming stations, in the amount of $1,500.

  20. 217Today Interview: Abandoned bicycles

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    217Today broadcasted an interview about the removal of abandoned bicycles on campus as part of the campus clean up process. You can listen to the interview at the 2:10 minute mark in this episode.

    Also, check out the Illinois Public Media WILL episode for July 15, 2022 here: https://will.illinois.edu/217today/episode/217-today-to-atone-for-racial...

    Attached Files: 

Pages