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  1. Learn About the Campus' New Rainwater Management Program

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management Program
    Water Conservation [ARCHIVED]
    Rainwater Management Plans
    Rainwater Management

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Rainwater Management Program showcases a future vision for the campus that emphasizes the importance of rainwater retention and replenishment. The goal is to transition from the traditional viewpoint of stormwater runoff as a maintenance issue to one that envisions rainwater as an asset to preserve, harness and celebrate. Learn more about the program’s release in a virtual forum on from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 2. Preregistration is required to attend the webinar. The RMP was funded by the Student Sustainability Committee.

    Learn About the Campus' New Rainwater Management Program

    April 2, 3–4 pm

    Betsy Richardson • Facilities & Services

  2. Clean Up Campus: Boneyard Creek Community Day 2025

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean up campus
    Boneyard Creek Management

    Clean Up Campus: Boneyard Creek Community Day 2025

    F&S is a proud co-sponsor of Boneyard Creek Community Day 2025 from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12 (rain date: May 3). The event begins at Scott Park (207 E. Springfield Avenue, Champaign) and includes lunch, music and educational displays. Sign up now at this link. Registration deadline is 5 p.m. April 5, but walk-up, day-of volunteers will also be welcomed.

    April 12, 9 am–12 pm • Scott Park

    Betsy Richardson • Facilities & Services

  3. Safety and Efficiency in Fume Hood Selection

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Active Fume Hoods
    Green Research Committee

    Safety and Efficiency in Fume Hood Selection

    Laboratory fume hoods are critical in protecting laboratory personnel from chemical exposure; however, fume hoods may also be the largest energy consumers in a research university campus. The Grainger College of Engineering Office of Safety invites campus facilities, safety and laboratory personnel to an in-depth presentation on the latest developments in fume hood technologies, and how to leverage them to create the safest and most energy-efficient laboratories. More details and the registration link can be found at: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/30/871793530.html

    March 27, 12–1 pm • 3002 Electrical and Computer Engineering Building

    Edward Chainani • Grainger College of Engineering

  5. Archived info - prior project background info

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

    The Revolving Loan Fund is managed by Facilities & Services (F&S) Utility and Energy Services that calculates cost avoidance from an RLF project using the fully loaded utility rates. The loan will be repaid at a fixed 1% interest rate with an annual payment equal to the calculated annual savings until the loan is fully repaid. When a project is funded by multiple funding sources, the annual savings to be returned to the RLF will be calculated by the payback associated with the work completed by the entire project.

    Project Submission and Selection

    Potential projects will be solicited from campus units by F&S Utility and Energy Services when there is at least $1M in funds available for allocation. Projects will be submitted through a web​-based PDF form by the requesting campus department. 

    Project selection will be handled through the RLF Committee that includes the Executive Director of Facilities and Services, Associate Provost for Capital Planning, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Student Sustainability Committee Chair, Illinois Student Senate President, and a representative of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment. The Committee will meet on a semiannual basis to approve/reject projects. 

    Project selection will be based on the following weighted criteria: 

    1. Payback Period (30%)
      Project has a short payback period.
    2. Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25%) 
      Does this project reduce greenhouse gas emissions for campus?
    3. Revolving Loan Fund Size Impact (20%)
      Projects that increase the Revolving Loan Fund size through grants or additional allocations.
    4. Visibility (5%)
      How visible/noticeable is the project to users of the facility, space and/or campus community?
    5. Project Coordination (20%)
      Projects that can be executed in conjunction with other planned or ongoing projects. The intent of the coordination is to make the RLF project more efficient to deliver for the University and/or departments.

    Project Tracking 
    Revolving Loan Fund projects are tracked using the Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS). This interactive system tracks annual energy, financial, and carbon savings from energy efficiency and other resource conservation measures.  ​

  8. Weekly Digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    A full week of warm weather is forthcoming, so we should be busy. We’ll be closed next week for Spring Break and right after that our full Mon – Fri schedule will resume. This Thursday we have another Instructional Class—hopefully it’s as well-attended as the last one!

     

    This week, we’ll also grab the last of the worth-our-trouble abandoned bikes from storage.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 36
    Sales: 767.38
    Bikes (Refurb): 2 for $395
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $32

  9. Land and Water Team March Monthly Meeting Minutes and Notes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Campus Rec Water Conservation Incentives
    Benefits of a Large-Scale Prairie Experiment

    The Land and Water team met on March 7th, 2025, at 9 am on Teams this month. In this week's meeting, the team discussed prairie strips, sustainable water usage on campus, milkweed plantings for pollinators, and activities to participate in this coming Arbor Day. The agenda and notes from the meeting are linked below. 

    Attached Files: 

  12. iCAP Energy Meeting March 2025

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy iCAP Team
    Rooftop Solar Potential
    Solar Power on Campus

    The Energy Team had their March meeting on Thursday, March 6th, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM. We welcomed a new member and had a hybrid meeting. The focus was on the Building Occupancy Engagement Pilot Program. We discussed the way forward and different ways to engage occupants.  Strategies like involving student groups, sending out surveys, and scheduling one-on-one meetings with building managers were discussed. Updates on the solar rooftop project and involving the athletics department in the pilot program were shared as well. The meeting minutes are attached!

    Attached Files: 

  16. Bird Strikes Meeting Notes 3/3/25

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bird Safety

    Discussed background information regarding Bird Strikes on the UIUC campus such as number of deaths, which buildings/locations on campus cause the largest number of deaths, etc. Further discussed potential solutions and strategies for implementation (including outsourcing, funding, volunteers, etc.) as well as next steps.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Bus, Bike, and Hike Week: Urbana’s initiative for alternative transportation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Community Bicycle Events and Rides

    Attached is a news article titled Urbana’s Feet Hit the Streets, 1977, covering Urbana’s "Bus, Bike, and Hike Week." This was among the initial initiatives promoting alternative transportation to reduce traffic, pollution, and encourage exercise. The event included a pedestrian parade, free bus rides, a film on automobile impacts, and bike trips across Illinois. Check it out to learn more about Urbana’s historical sustainable mobility efforts.

    Attached Files: 

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