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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Campus Composting Progress

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

    The firm that was hired last fall to complete the Compost Feasibility Study, Foth, submitted a draft of their study to the University in early January for comments.  Immediately following, F&S applied for $250,000 from the F-SCRAP Grant from DCEO, for equipment and site improvements for the Large-Scale Food Waste Composting Facility.  In order to apply for the grant, the University was required to commit to funding the remaining portion of the facility’s proposed budget, and an emergency phone meeting was called by the Student Sustainability Committee to assign funding toward this. The committee voted in favor and granted $250,000 toward the project.  A draft plan for the compost facility was also developed and distributed to key stakeholders in mid-January for feedback. 

  3. Sustainability Curriculum and Workshop Progress

    Associated Project(s): 
    Encourage Course Development or Modification

    Engineering 315, Learning in the Community (LINC), has a number of course sections dedicated to sustainability this semester, including UI Bikes (UIB), for which Facilities & Services is serving as the Project Partner. The UIB section has two student project managers and 13 undergraduate students, who will be focusing on three bicycle-related projects this semester: A. the continuation of the bike sharing market analysis started last semester, including a campus-wide survey and targeted focus groups; B. the development of a campus bicycle parking map; and C. testing various marketing tactics to try to encourage students to park their bikes legally at designated bike parking, rather than on trees, signs, ramps, or fences.

    F&S and the Campus Bike Project (CBP) met with an MBA class who agreed to help the CBP become fiscally self-supporting through improved marketing. There are two student teams who will review this topic in the context of all bicycle-related topics for campus.

    Logistics are underway for the Spring, 2012 offering of the Teaching Sustainability Workshop (previously the Prairie Project).  There will be an opening reception and keynote speaker on Friday, April 13 at Levis Center and the workshop will be held on April 14, 2012 at the Japan House.  The call for applications went out on January 25 with applications due by March 9.  In two days, we had already received 11 applications and are now up to 15.  This is the quickest response we have had to date.

    The Scholarship of Sustainability Series is currently being offered for the third year.  The series is connected with 4 courses from 3 different colleges in addition to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  Attendance each Thursday is expected to be around 100 people as the enrollment in the 4 courses are full (and the series will not be videotaped.)

    Last fall, the SSC suggested an MOU with the Office of Sustainability regarding the hiring of a curriculum specialist to work one-on-one with faculty to integrate sustainability into the curriculum.  The OS submitted a letter of inquiry for committee response on January 27, 2012.

  4. The F&S Energy and Production Distribution Master Plan Kicked Off

    Associated Project(s): 
    Stop Burning Coal at Abbott Power Plant

    The F&S Energy and Production Distribution Master Plan was kicked off in January.  This plan is the first step to achieving the goal of not burning coal at Abbott Power Plant by 2017. The plan will be developed over the course of calendar year 2012 and will include specific projects and cost estimates for implementing the plan in five-year increments. 

  11. update from Tom

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

    From: Thomas Ferrarell [mailto:tjferrarell@gmail.com]
    Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 10:27 PM
    To: Allen, Amy E; Beverage, McKenzie; Johnston, Morgan B
    Subject: Re: Weatherization

    I met with Dean, and I e-mailed all the groups, I'll send Julie a copy. I'll need to stop by McKenzie's office early this week to get their documents back so they can begin working on their lists. I'll also touch base with the additional buildings tomorrow morning before giving the teams their next assignments.

    Dean gave me a new timeline. He would like the recommendation lists by February 1st. He'll give the lists to people that will find the money values for the line items. He estimates that will take roughly 2 weeks. Once that is done, we will meet with all the team leaders and have a conversation about how to best use the $50,000. We were going to set that meeting somewhere in the ball park of February 20th. So right around then is when we'll be done.

    -Thomas Ferrarell

    On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 9:15 PM, Amy Allen <allen16@illinois.edu> wrote:

    Hey Tom,
           Were you able to get in touch w the teams about doing more buildings & presentations to Dean? Just an FYI, SECS' temporary weatherization group leader is Julie Fry(<fry6@illinois.edu>).
    Best,
    Amy

  12. Composting Program- Grant Application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Foodwaste

     A food-waste audit was done at University Housing facilities, which involved collecting and weighing waste from student’s plates that was put into the trash, as opposed to the disposal. Once the bag reached a full level, it was weighted and recorded. The weights measured food scraps and napkins, but not liquids. The average waste was about 4.6 ounces per person.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Go-Live Project Date

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project

    The energy dashboard for UIUC was launched Monday, December 5, 2011. The site provides data and information to students and staff about selected University building's energy consumption rate.  Real-time energy use for electricity, heating (steam), and cooling (chilled water) are displayed.

  14. Energy Dashboard at BIF

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project

    College of Business students have been competing to come up with ideas for how to utilize the Energy Dashboard at the Business Instructional Facility. One of the recommendations they have developed is a real-time energy use display.

  18. Watt Meters for audit teams

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

    I think we could probably borrow SEDAC's--you can contact Andy Robinson at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center("Robinson, Andrew Ansel" <aar@illinois.edu>). Last year, we worked out a memorandum of understanding to use a blower door from SEDAC's affiliate, the Building Research Council, so this shouldn't be a problem. You can mention that. I can also contact him, as I used to work there.  - Amy Allen

    On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Thomas Ferrarell <tjferrarell@gmail.com> wrote:

    I've been unable to get watt meters through cheap means. SECS is still unsure where theirs are, and the library has only 2 rentable and they have both been checked out till the 19th. I want to ask if you think this is still a valuable task to include, that is: measuring the energy usage of items like computers, mini-fridges, personal microwaves/toasters/coffee makers/water heaters, and using the data to suggest a change in behavior. If so, would you be opposed to buying 6 watt meters for teams to use?

    They seem to be around $25 per meter 

    (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=watt+meters&gs_upl=60l3317l0l3554l22l15l3l0l0l0l341l2953l0.8.3.3l17l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1204&bih=684&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5525303247386121198&sa=X&ei=C5m5TreNJuag2gWSwfCjBw&ved=0CI8BEPMCMAM#ps-sellers)

    and I could pick them up at radio shack. They may or be helpful in the future if this project continues.

    What do you think? Or do you know of other means to obtain meters more cheaply?

    -Tom

  19. training audit team leaders

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

    I had a big problem trying to get the building contacts and all the teams on the same page to meet. And most of the building contacts were being very unresponsive. So I changed up the plan a little. I'll be meeting with the team leaders and any other members who can attend at the Intensive English Institute (since they were being the most accessible) and will be training them all at once. 

    I went to the buildings that weren't responding and sat down with the contacts, a few are allowing me to key the teams in after 5pm/weekends to avoid interruptions and help them finish quicker. Only 1 building of the 9 has been able to elude me, I'm going to try again tomorrow. 2 others said they could get back to me by wednesday. 

    A few of the teams expressed willingness to work the week after thanksgiving break too if necessary to complete all 9 buildings.

    -Tom

  20. Update from Tom

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

    This week was a setback. I'm trying to get availability schedules from the building contacts to give to the students so they know when they can and can't be in certain rooms as it was expressed as a concern from a few responders about interruptions. I asked if we could have access on the weekends and/or during after hours to make it easier, a few are open to it. Only 1 of the teams set up a meeting with me this week, the others have said they are available next week. I cancelled the meeting with the one team because the building I assigned them did not let me know when I could do a demonstration there. I wasn't comfortable with just barging in and poking around. There is still 2 weeks left till thanksgiving, and if these contacts decide to follow through and allow us in after closing or on the weekends, I'm very certain all the buildings will get done. I think the students are having trouble organizing when they can meet during normal work hours because thats also normal class hours. I'm in contact with all the team leaders and I'm doing my best to stay organized with their times. I'm following up with the building contacts today, and monday to try and push them to get me the availability schedules. If they are still taking too long to respond, I can gauge which teams will be willing to work after thanksgiving break if necessary.

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