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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Transportation SWATeam Meeting: 9 March 2020

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the Transportation SWATeam meeting on 9 March 2020. 

    The Agenda is as follows:

    Recommendations Selection

    • Support CMP by increasing pedestrian safety by reevaluating current pedestrian routes and conducting traffic studies.
    • Zip-Car Continuity
    • UI Ride Survey 
    • Teleconferencing Assessment
    • Faculty/Staff Vanpool Survey
    • Identify Campus Intersections and Mid-block Crossings with high potential for crashes, and develop/implement design improvement strategies.

    Future Recommendations

    • Working with MTD to promote better bus service to Research Park and I Hotel
    • Establish a University of Illinois Foundation fund to support campus efforts to reduce and within ~10 years eliminate use of fossil fuel.
    • Sustainable Asphalt Binders
    Attached Files: 
  2. iSEE Awards Levenick Teaching Sustainability Fellowships

    iSEE is pleased to announce that eight instructors have been named 2020-21 Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability Fellows.

    Funded by a generous endowment from Illinois Alumnus Stuart L. Levenick and his wife Nancy J. Levenick, this second cohort of faculty and teachers from across the University of Illinois campus (and one from University Laboratory High School) will incorporate sustainability into existing classes or create entirely new courses built around sustainability elements.

    Associate Director for Education & Outreach Gillen D’Arcy Wood said applications nearly doubled for the Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability program this year, a positive sign of a growing program — and growing interest in adding sustainability thinking in all academic units.

    The 2020-21 cohort and the courses they will undertake:

    • Alison Anders, Associate Professor of Geography, “GIS for Geology and Environmental Science”;
    • Kim Curtis, Adjunct Lecturer in Theatre, “Theater Design and Production”;
    • Sean Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Urban + Regional Planning, “Food and the City”;
    • Eleftheria Kontou, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, “Urban Transportation Models”;
    • Daniel Schneider, Professor of Urban + Regional Planning, “FAA 230: Sustainable Design of the Built Environment”;
    • Andrew Stillwell, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, “ECE 330: Green Electric Energy”;
    • Chiara Vincenzi, Adjunct Instructor in Art + Design, ” ARTS 321: Sustainable Fashion Development & Branding”; and
    • Andrew Wilson, Teaching Associate in Social Studies at Uni High, “World History”.

    Read more about the Fellows and their projects >>>

    The Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability Fellowship program consists of four elements to help the 2020-21 Fellows best incorporate sustainability into their courses:

    • a retreat for developing lesson plans, held in Spring 2020 and available via teleconference for interested instructors from other U of I campuses;
    • summer feedback from iSEE and sustainability subject matter experts;
    • a fall progress check-in; and
    • a Spring 2021 debriefing, at which time the cohort will meet the newly named 2021-22 Fellows.
  3. solar on parking estimated costs

    Associated Project(s): 

    Good morning Morgan,

     

    I have gathered the numbers that correspond to an acre of solar cover. 

     

    The estimate is that an acre of solar canopy could generate 760,536 kWh annually (this estimate takes into account the weather patterns of our location and possible shading/system inefficiencies).  

     

    I remember you saying that right now the University pays $0.05 per kWh.  Our solar farms are charged $0.045 per kWh that they generate.  This means that $0.005 is saved for every kWh generated.  That can be used to estimate that an acre of solar canopy would save roughly $3,800 per year.  

     

    I thought that I would also include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s estimate for what a solar retailer would charge per kWh of electricity in our area: $0.036.  This would mean that $0.014 could be saved per kWh on a solar canopy system, or roughly $10,650 per acre.  

     

    Let me know what else I can find,

     

    Ryan Day

  4. Info from Andy Robinson at F&S

    I am on the team that did the Retrocommissioning project in 2018 and I would be happy to share some of our knowledge from that process.  Below is the link to a presentation of that project that we took to a Big Ten energy conference.   Some of our main takeaways are that the combination of chilled beams, dual HX wheels, coil sizing, occupancy ventilation, and thoughtful building pressurization have led to one of the most efficient buildings on campus.  Also, the heat pumps work well to heat/cool with electricity, but would be optimal if there were more of a reheat load, or a hot water loop to send reject heat to a neighboring building in summer, which campus is looking into in certain locations. 

     

    https://www.fs.illinois.edu/services/utilities-energy/energy-conservation/rcx-energy-results

    https://webtest2.fs.illinois.edu/docs/default-source/retro/big10-friends-mechanical-energy-conference-2018-09-30.pdf?sfvrsn=7a85cbea_2

     

    Andy Robinson, LEED-AP, CEM

    DDC Specialist, F&S Energy Services - RCx

  5. CNG notes from Pete Varney

    1.    Would the University be willing to convert some of their vehicle fleet to CNG? If so, how many?
    a.    The fleet is managed at the department/college level. Each unit purchases their own vehicles. F&S would be a prime entity willing to acquire CNG vehicles as part of a normal replacement cycle. Perhaps 8-12 vehicles annually.
    2.    What are the pros and cons of using CNG in campus trucks vs cars?
    a.    The use of CNG is more focused on how the vehicle is used rather than type. Most “cars” are used for travel out of the local area where CNG fueling would pose challenges. Most F&S “trucks” are exclusively used on campus where CNG fueling would be centralized
     

  6. Report any collision, near miss, or problematic location on-campus

    Associated Project(s): 

    Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. This survey is designed for the UI community to take into consideration the safety concerns of all students, faculty, and staff members. If you have any question, contact Professor Ray Benekohal at rbenekoh@illinois.edu. Use Chrome, Firefox or Opera browser.

    February 7–13

     

    Sarthak Prasad • Facilities & Services

  7. Energy SWATeam Meeting: January 27, 2020

    The Energy SWATeam's January 2020 meeting involved discussions on the responsbilities of the SWATeam and the assignments to subcommittees of the Energy SWATeam to help the committee work towards acheiveing its objectives more effectively. 

  8. Map the System 2020 Social Innovation Challenge

    Map the System 2020 Social Innovation Challenge

    Encourage students to register for Map the System 2020, a global competition that will challenge them to think differently about social and environmental change. Teams develop systems-level thinking, research, presentation, and changemaking skills and pitch at the campus semi-final for a chance to win a funded trip to compete for cash prizes at the University of Oxford Global Final in the UK.

    February 5, 5 pm • Registration Deadline

    Valeri Werpetinski • Origin Ventures Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership

  9. Pollinator Friendly at Illinois

    University Landscape Architect, Brent Lewis, provided an overview of recent efforts to make the U of I campus more pollinator friendly at the CCNet brown bag lunch this month.  Topics included:

     

    1. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program
    2. Living Learning Labs
    3. Facilities Standards / Green Infrastructure
    4. Bee Campus USA designation
    5. Solar Farm 2.0 plantings
    6. Landscape Master Plan

     

    You can watch his presentation on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/champaigncountynetwork/videos/512740266019591/.  Join the CCNet Mailing List to stay informed about Champaign County sustainability efforts and to meet local sustainability professionals, like Brent.

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