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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. 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.

  4. draft charge letter for teams

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

    see attached first draft

    Also Morgan,
    I forgot to copy you for a couple e-mails with Eva Sweeney. We just met today at 1pm, she had some good input. The most important was probably that the lighting retrofit project has already done lighting assessments for all the buildings on campus, she said she can send them to me once I let her know what buildings we were planning on doing. I guess they are upgrading all flourescents from T-12 to T-8 bulbs. So for the sake of not duplicating information we could remove checklist items: count total number of lights, and note wattage used by each light. But she did suggest looking at exterior lighting: if they are working, if they are bright enough, if there are dark areas that require more lighting (for safety), and what type of lighting it is. She also suggested to think about where occupancy sensors could be used.

    I'm going to meet with Dean at 2:30 today to go over the checklist again as well.

    Attached Files: 

  7. to do list for Tom

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

    Hi Tom,

    Amy Allen will be our contact with the SSC this year.  She and I are sitting in my office, and sending you this email about first steps. Please do the following, and let us know if you have questions.

    1)      Summarize the history from last year.  DUE 9/12/11

    a.       Ask James Hoffer to give you the contact information from each of the five teams last year.

    b.      Ask James for the documentation of what they were told to accomplish for the $500. - There is a concern that the work completed was not the work requested, and therefore the funding is not approved yet.  If we can get details of what James told the groups they had to do for the funds, then we could compare their final reports with the expectations.

    c.       Ask James for the copies of their final submittals. - The actual reports from the teams may have had additional information, not just what was on the small excel files I have seen.  Please get a copy of those excel files, and any other materials the teams provided to James last spring.  Did they use the sample assessment form from the Training Manual?

    d.      Make a list of all the buildings they did, and note if any of them do not need additional data gathering.

    e.      Write a brief opinion, based on your data gathering: did the teams do what they were supposed to do for the money?

    2)      Finalize the to do items for each team for each building.  Write a charge letter for the teams.  DUE 9/30/11 - but get a draft by 9/19/11

    a.       Take the to-do list you created from James' manual, with Dean's notes about the F&S shop that would handle it.  Remove the items that
    are not on our list of selected items to review.

    b.      This is the list of selected items to review, per our notes this summer: "We're going with electronics, lighting, faucet aerators and running toilets, and weather stripping for student tasks."

    c.       Draft a charge letter for the teams, based on the to do list. We can talk about this more once you are ready to dig in.  Basically, this needs to document what the teams have to do in order to earn the money.  We agreed to give them $150 per building.

    3)      Solicit 4-7 teams. DUE 9/30/11 - for asking them in the first place...

    a.       Take a look at who worked with James last year, and ask them if they want to participate this year.  You can let them know that the process is being revised, and you can try to avoid the question about the funding from last year.

    b.      (If they want more details about last year's money, tell them you will ask me.  Then send me an email and copy them.)

    c.       Reach out to other RSOs that may want to participate this year. For starters there is a huge list of RSOs on the Illini Union's website. You can grab president emails from that site somehow, and send a big email, or you could pick and choose RSO's that you think would be interested.  Amy can also give you suggestions.

    d.      Draft an email explaining this opportunity.  Amy, Dean, and I will review the email before you send it.

    We will have plenty more to do after this part.  We will need to hold a meeting with all the teams, Dean, Amy, you, and me.  We will need to identify which buildings each team will review, and a process for evaluating their reports such that they can be approved for the funding. We will need to get estimates of the costs, so the teams can prioritize the work to do based on the funding from Dean's office.

    It would be good to make a networked folder for all these materials, if James didn't already create one.  We really need more organization this
    time, and I have every confidence that you can take care of that. 

    Please send me and Amy your schedule.  We would also both like to be copied whenever you send any emails about this program.  Let us know if
    you have any questions!!!

    Thanks,
    Morgan
     

  10. Tom, Suhail, and Morgan met to discuss next steps

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

    We're going with electronics, lighting, faucet aerators and running toilets, and weather stripping for student tasks.

    Right when I get back on campus, I'll contact you to get me started on getting set up at F&S. Then we'll finalize a plan, and start recruiting people early september. From mid september to mid October, I'll be doing a test run on a house to note how long it takes, and to familiarize myself with what needs to be done by other students. I'll spend a few days training them, and then they'll take from mid october to november to complete their jobs. In the meantime i'll meet with them weekly and give you and Dean updates. We'll have them do 1 house at a time to better track their work quality. Up to the final weeks of the semester they'll write reports and in the spring they'll do a presentation about the whole process and what not. They can earn up to $500 for good work.

    ~Tom

     

  12. draft checklist for new teams

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

    On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 9:03 PM, Johnston, Morgan (Facilities & Services) <mbjohnst@fs.uiuc.edu> wrote:

    Hi Tom,

    I want it translated into a "to do list."  So, we do not need a summary, or pictures, or an intro.  Just the list of things to do.  You asked if I want a list of what students would be doing, and that is essentially what I want.  The only clarification is that I don't want it evaluated for whether students or someone else would do it, just make a list of everything it says to do.  Put the list in Excel, or make an unformated list in Word (not bulleted) which I can cut and paste into Excel.

    This is a really helpful step, so we can review the list with Dean Henson (over building matinenance) and select which items the student groups should do this fall.

    Looking at it more closely, I think you need to just go through pages 8-14.  The first page's list would be something like this:

    • do the pipes have insulation on them?
    • where are the ducts located (inside or outside)?
    • check the type of heating system used
    • check the fuel type used, if applicable
    • check the location of the heating system
    • check how many space heaters are used in the building
    • check the type of cooling system used
    • check the location of the cooling system
    • check the furnace efficiency label
    • check when the filter was last changed/how dirty is the filter?
    • record the filter size

    Once you get the draft list written, please email it to me.  I'll set a time for us to talk about it and move forward.

    Thanks a ton for your help!

    Morgan

    From: Thomas Ferrarell [mailto:tjferrarell@gmail.com]
    Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 4:58 PM
    To: Johnston, Morgan (Facilities & Services)
    Subject: Weatherization Project

    Hi Morgan,

    I've read it through a few times and I'm wondering how you would like me to summarize this. Have you read it? Even though it is 32 pages, it is a fairly quick read. The first section is a list of the process that already felt like a summary of the following 10 or so pages. The rest is descriptions of the types of windows, doors, etc, and the tools used, as well as some sample forms. I'd rather ask a potentially stupid question than make a potentially stupid stupid summary. Do you want me to pick out tasks that students would be doing and thats it? or summarize the entire manual?

    -Thomas Ferrarell

     

    Attached Files: 

  13. Campuswide Occupancy Sensors

    Associated Project(s): 
    Occupancy and Daylight Sensors
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    In 2008, $50,000 was awarded to Facilities and Services to install occupancy sensors in 272 rooms across 10 highly-visible campus buildings. Where in use, the automatic lighting controls reduce energy usage by 30% (total savings of $11,900/year plus inflation) and greenhouse gas emissions (by 88,000 lbs CO2, 323 lbs of NOx, and 1,079 lbs SOx per year). The sensors are a daily reminder to students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the University of Illinois’ commitment to sustainability.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Energy Displays and Metering Funding Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This proposal seeks to install web-based display system for campus building energy consumption. The initial system will include information from 25 buildings as well as the Abbott power plant. Data will be available in real-time for buildings that have real-time metering, and monthly for other buildings; utilities included will be steam, chilled water and electricity. This project will also leverage funds from other project partners to make upgrades to building metering systems to provide real-time data for display and campus energy management use. Breakdown of funds is as follows: up to $50,000 for software purchase and install, up to $6750 for software maintenance, and up to $100,000 (this last portion in matching funds) for metering upgrades in initial buildings. Once the program is in place, ECI will work with project partners to arrange to display information on new or existing in-building displays as well as add information from other buildings. The Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding a grant in the amount of $156,750.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Student Weatherization Assessment Program Plan

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This pilot program will take place in the Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 semesters with the objective of creating and sustaining a student weatherization program.  The program will involve assessments of campus buildings, which will be performed and reported by teams of trained University of Illinois students. Facilities & Services will receive these weatherization reports and use them internally for project assessment and discussion with relevant teams. A letter of support from Facilities & Services is attached to this memorandum.

    Students will be trained to complete audits in order to obtain baseline data and make recommendations for weatherization improvements to Facilities & Services. Audit data will be entered into Excel spreadsheets, for example, to allow for of quantitative and qualitative analysis of results.

    Audit areas will include building envelope, lighting, water, and waste. Follow up audits will be conducted to evaluate the program’s success.  Information from these audits will create a valuable body of information to guide future sustainability initiatives.

    Details in this plan are drawn from similar successful programs at the University of California at Berkeley and Colorado University at Boulder.

    • The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) will provide $20,000 in funding in order to:
    • Provide for a student intern to assist Facilities & Services in running the program.
    • Pay student teams to conduct assessments Meet miscellaneous costs, as needed, including expenses to assess successfulness of implemented recommendations, tools, equipment, etc.

    Facilities & Services will provide:

    •  A member of either the Maintenance or Energy Services division to supervise and provide resources to the intern coordinating the program.
    • Workers and materials necessary to implement improvements.
    Attached Files: 

  16. 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: 

  17. 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: 

  18. 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: 

  19. 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%. 

  20. BLUE Community Involvement info

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Infrastructure
    Green Infrastructure Conference
    CEE 598 SUS with Barbara Minsker [ARCHIVED]
    Building a Lasting University Environment (BLUE) [ARCHIVED]

    The F&S Environmental Compliance Department is always working towards enhancing environmental management and sustainable practices on campus and in the community.  Community collaboration and education are important components of stormwater management practices and fulfill requirements of the University’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4). 

    The Office of Public Engagement awarded Environmental Compliance a grant to construct a rain garden for the Robeson Elementary School in Champaign, Illinois. This project demonstrates contemporary stormwater management practices that mitigate playground flooding.  The project engages students by incorporating the rain garden into the school’s curriculum.  Environmental Compliance collaborated with professors, students, landscape architects, local businesses, and Unit 4 administration to design and construct the rain garden. 

    The 2011 Green Infrastructure Maintenance Conference addressed native plantings, rain gardens, porous pavements, and green roofs.  The event was hosted by Environmental Compliance and the Landscape Architecture Departments and sponsored by the Office of Public Engagement along with the MS4 Technical Committee.

    The 2010 John Street Watershed Class was a collaboration between the University of Illinois and the City of Champaign to address neighborhood flooding.  Environmental Compliance participated by lecturing and assisting in the construction of two rain gardens. 

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