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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

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

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    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

     

  4. draft checklist for new teams

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    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: 

  5. 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: 

  6. 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: 

  7. Student Weatherization Assessment Program Plan

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings
    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: 

  8. ISTC Campus Water Use Study

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Conservation
    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: 

  9. 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: 

  10. 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: 

  11. 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%. 

  12. 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. 

  14. Tom Ferrarell volunteers to revamp the Weatherization project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    Tom Ferrarell has agreed to work this summer to review and revamp the Weatherization project.  Last year, the student intern, James Hoffer, focused his efforts on creating the attached Weatherization Manual.  James worked for F&S under the supervision of Dean Henson, in Building Maintenance.  Suhail provided the copy of the manual, the BRC checklist, and the sample audit forms for Tom to read through.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Suhail Barot requests a meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    -----Original Message-----
    From: sfbarot@gmail.com [mailto:sfbarot@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Suhail Barot
    Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 1:29 PM
    To: Henson, K Dean (Facilities & Services); Johnston, Morgan (Facilities & Services); Sweeney, Eva M (Facilities & Services)
    Subject: Meeting Request re: student weatherization and building assessment

    Hi folks,

    This spring, the SSC partnered with F&S on a student building weatherization assessment program. We had student teams coordinated by an intern (both paid) that worked to assess buildings and collect data. In the midst of the end of the semester, I'm not sure how much they did, or how useful it was, but I've requested information from the intern, James Hoffer, regarding all that.

    I'd like to meet and discuss how this program should operate next term, sometime during mid- June. I've included Eva on this because she had some stuff that students could do re: lighting assessments.

    Suhail Barot

    M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, 2009. Graduate Student, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chair, Student Sustainability Committee, Treasurer, University YMCA Student Board, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Phone: 1-815-260-7961

  19. Retrocommissioning award application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)

    The Retro-commissioning (RCx) team applied for (and later won) the Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award in 2011.  RCx at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was established in 2007 and has been working to reduce energy consumption in campus buildings by repairing and optimizing their air and hydronic systems and restoring buildings to their required operating standards.

    Attached Files: 

  20. Update from James Hoffer

    Associated Project(s): 
    Weatherization of Small Campus Buildings

    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: James Hoffer <jhoffer2@illinois.edu>
    Date: Tue, May 17, 2011 at 11:04 AM
    Subject: Project Completion Tasks
    To: Suhail Barot <sbarot@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Jennifer Koys <jennifer.koys@gmail.com>


    Hi Suhail,

    There are a couple of things that I wanted to ask you about regarding the completion of this portion of the project.

    I have completed looking over the assessments I received.  Only 5 of the houses were completed.  The majority of the things found wrong with the houses were cleanliness/obstruction issues with vents and baseboards and window problems.  I have left the lists of things that could be fixed on the F&S computer that I worked on and I will email it to Dean.  I am not sure exactly what he will want to fix or leave alone, I still have to discuss with him. 

    This is not nearly as many houses as I wanted to get done, and I think this is simply because they ran out of time.  I do not think this part was a failure though, as it will provide good insight to changes that need to be made in the future.  One of the most important things will be to have hard deadlines for the teams to have completed their assessments by. 

    I have not received any more emails regarding my position next year.  I do not know if you have talked with Hannah yet or decided what will happen.  Next year there is a good chance that I will be at U of I and working for F&S on a different project.  I believe it will be very easy for me to pass on the work to whoever you choose and help them get the feel for it.  Please let me know when you have selected a person or if you would like me to select one.  I will need to talk with them before the start of next semester.

    I left the supply box on the table of the room in the YMCA.

    Please inform as to what you would like me to do at this point.

    Thanks,
    James
     

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