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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Interview with Cynthia Klein-Banai (Director of Sustainability at UIC)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Cynthia Klein-Banai - Director of Sustainability at UIC

    On 3/28/22, the team corresponded through email with Dr. Cynthia Klein-Banai, who is the Director of Sustainability at UIC. We inquired about the plans for the energy transition at UIC and she provided us with valuable insight on the University’s current initiatives. While the energy situations at UIUC and UIC are different, there is crossover between many aspects.

    Attached Files: 

  3. This Week in Research

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Damien Guironnet is part of a team that is working to "develop plastic that can be recycled perpetually, reducing waste and pollution from single-use plastics." The public-private partnership is one of seven DOE-funded projects to combat plastic waste.

  4. New iSEE Greener Campus Certifications

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Certified Green Event Program
    Certified Green Chapter Program
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)

    Congratulations to the newest recipients of our Greener Campus Certification Programs!

     

    Green Chapter: Alpha Phi, Gold-Certified March 2022 

     

    Green Office: The (In)Secure Landscapes Lab, Gold-Certified February 2022

     

    Green Events: 

    -University of Illinois Foundation -- Board and Donor Relations UIUC London Dinner, Certified March 2022

    -Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club Young Olympians, Certified March 2022

     

    Keep up the great work!

  5. Engagement iCAP Team Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    The Engagement iCAP Team met on Friday, March 25 with Morgan White and Michael McKelvey to discuss the strengths and opportunities for updating the iCAP Portal. Potential recommendations will be clarified at their next meeting, including a How-To page, aesthetic changes, and utilizing analytics. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  6. Video Case Studies of Sustainable UIUC Campus Buildings

    Associated Project(s): 
    Advance Student Sustainability Outreach Efforts
    Independent Student Projects

    From: Shanmugam Narayan, Vinothni

    To: White, Morgan

    Recipients: mbwhite at illinois.edu

     

    Hello Morgan,

     

    I have shared the NCEL & HSL plans, newsletter, and Earth month schedule with my team. Thank you so much for sharing those.

     

    I have also attached a link for case study videos that my concept team students created for one of the activities I planned last semester.

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KRaWCbD2WYsWEA9bR0JUx9a_ELMov0v9?usp=sharing

     

    Thanks for initiating to include their work on the website.  Have a nice day!

     

    Sincerely,

    Vinothni Narayan Icon</p> <p>Description automatically generated

    Graduate – Masters | Class of Dec 2022

    Civil and Environmental Engineering | Construction Engineering and Management

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

    vs37@illinois.edu  | +1 (217)-200-2817

     

  7. Interview with Scott Willenbrock (Former Physics Professor, UIUC Solar Farm Involvement)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Scott Willenbrock - Former Physics Professor, UIUC Solar Farm Involvement

    On 3/24/22, the team met with Scott Willenbrock. He provided a lot of valuable information on Solar Farm 1 and 2, as well as the potential for a Solar Farm 3. He described that Solar Farm 3 will likely be an off-campus farm due to the lack of space on campus. He did mention that there was potential for putting a farm on campus in between Solar Farm 1 and 2, but it would be necessary to relocate the research that the fields are currently being used for. He thinks Solar Farm 3 will most likely be off campus, and he says the biggest challenge with this is getting things moving and having enough people behind it. He gave us some advice on rooftop solar, stating that the fault is in the economy of scale, but rooftop panels can be useful due to their visibility on campus/ promotion of clean energy. He also believes that storage is a challenge that needs to be addressed, batteries are too expensive now.

  8. Meeting with F&S about Fleet Replacement Plan Development

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fleet Replacement Plans

    In February, Tyler Swanson, Allison Hefner, and Sarthak Prasad of the Transportation iCAP team met with Pete Varney at F&S to discuss the implementation of the F&S Fleet Replacement Plan and what lessons have been learned via the process. The team hopes to use information from the conversation to help other campus units develop their own fleet replacement plans.

    Notes from this conversations are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  10. Interview with Rob Roman (F&S Director of Utilities & Energy Services)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Rob Roman - F&S Director of Utilities & Energy Services

    On 3/22/22 the team interviewed Rob Roman. Rob’s biggest concern with a clean energy transition was the monetary aspect. The university only gets a certain amount of funding each year and a large amount of money is going to be needed for improvements to the system. Rob thought that geothermal is a good option for the University and thinks that it could be feasible on a large scale but would need to consult an expert to determine the land use. Rob also thought that a micro nuclear reactor was a very good option for the University with the caveat that it will be very expensive. He thought that the university does need to transition from its steam use for heating on campus unless a better emerging technology comes along. Rob told the team that biofuels have already been tried for the steam production, but it wasn’t feasible due to the transportation costs compared to natural gas and coal. Rob felt that for future energy plans they account for ambiguity and emerging technologies and have a place for energy storage which the campus currently does not utilize.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Student Affairs Research Approval (SARA) process for the sample of students for Mode Choice Survey

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Since iNews Newsletter does not allow surveys, F&S TDM had to get permission from DMI and Student Affairs to reach out to a large populations of Undergraduate students.

    Sarthak Prasad requested Division of Management Information (DMI) a sample of randomly selected Undergraduate students for the Mode Choice Survey in last week of February. DMI asked to complete the Student Affairs Research Approval (SARA) application to sample 5,000 UG students. Sarthak Prasad filled out the SARA request on March 1, 2022. Dr. Beth Hoag approved the SARA request to sample 5,000 UG students and forwarded it to the DMI contacts. 

    Ting Lu from DMI created 2 identical groups of randomly selected 5,000 UG student emails and shared them with Sarthak Prasad on 3/18/22 via Webtools. Each group could only be used once.

    There was a $16/hour cost to create a sample - overall cost was $64.

  14. Interview with Maria Maring (SSLC iWG Representative) and Gabriel Kosmacher (SSLC Member)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Maria Maring - SSLC iWG Representative

    Gabriel Kosmacher -SSLC Member

    On 3/11/22, the team met with SSLC representatives from the iWG, Maria Maring and Gabriel Kosmacher. They had beneficial insight into the human side of energy implementation on campus. They both have experience in allocating SSLC funds to student proposed projects, so it was interesting to hear their point of view of sustainability projects on campus. They recommended energy conservation techniques that do not rely on individual actions. They also provided insight into the fact that students just want to see clean energy on campus, and they do not care how it happens. Finally, they expressed concerns on the location of micro nuclear reactors on campus, while also stressing that students would not be against nuclear power if they are educated on the topic.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Invitation to Environmental Leadership Program Banquet

    Associated Project(s): 
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)

    From: Rosenbery, Amy Nichole
    Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 7:48 AM
    To: Rosenbery, Amy Nichole
    Subject: Reminder: Invitation to Environmental Leadership Program Banquet

    Good morning all,

    Just sending a reminder that we need an RSVP by end of the day today.

    Dear Colleagues,

    I hope this finds you well. I am reaching out to invite you to the first closing banquet of the Environmental Leadership Program organized by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).

    The ELP wraps up in a couple of weeks with a trip to Springfield, where students will present their crafted policy to state legislators and staff. The program will conclude with a celebratory banquet at the Illini Union on Thursday, March 17, 2022, from 5-7:30 pm.

    As a valuable member at iSEE, we would be delighted if you could join us in celebrating the successful launch of the program. I have attached the event agenda for additional information. To confirm your attendance, kindly reply to this email by Wednesday, March 9.

    On behalf of everyone at iSEE, I would like to thank you again for your contribution to building the program!

    Best Regards,
    Amy

    Amy Rosenbery
    Business Administrative Associate
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
    National Soybean Research Center
    1101 W. Peabody, suite 350, MC-635
    Urbana, IL 61801
    217/333-4178
    www.sustainability.illinois.edu

    Attached Files: 

  18. Interview with Ximing Cai (CEE Professor, Former Associate Director of iSEE)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Ximing Cai - CEE Professor, Former Associate Director of iSEE

    On 3/8/22, the team met with Ximing Cai. He was able to provide us with useful information on biofuels, geothermal, and nuclear options for the campus. He suggests geothermal as a good option, with potential for biofuels or nuclear although there is still a lot to consider. A big issue with these technologies is cost. Also placed an emphasis on energy conservation and advised us to be bold with our plan because it is needed to reach the desired goals. From here, we plan to contact someone with detailed knowledge of nuclear and geothermal systems to learn more about their potential on campus.

    Attached Files: 

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