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Projects Updates for place: National Soybean Research Center

  1. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Lab Program
    Illini Lights Out
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Eco-Olympics

    On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

    1) Associate Director for Campus Sustainability at iSEE replacement;

    2) Status of recommendation for Green Lab Coordinator;

    3) Discussion: How the SWATeam recommendation process working for us;

    4) FYI: Discussions are ongoing on campus about higher expectations for building standards;

    5) Illini Light Out” will transition to iSEE and dates for the rest of the year;

    6) Certified Green Office Program. How ECBS SWATeam can promote this;

    7) Status updates: 2017 Freezer Challenge and Eco-Olympics Planning.

     

    Attached Files: 

  2. Freezer Challenge launching January 15, 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Green Lab Program
    Freezer Challenge

    U of I Campus Labs Encouraged to Join Freezer Challenge

    Members of iSEE’s Energy Conservation & Building Standards Sustainability Working Advisory Team (ECBS SWATeam) invites U. of I. labs of all shapes and sizes laboratories on campus to register for the North American Laboratory Freezer Challenge, which uses friendly competition to optimize sustainability of freezer management in laboratories.

    Any type of laboratory is eligible to participate by working at its own pace to implement optimal cold storage management practices that save energy. Participating labs from the Illinois campus will receive special recognition from iSEE at the annual Sustainability Week Celebration and find themselves one step ahead toward Green Lab certification, a proposed program being discussed on campus and at iSEE. The competition has updated the awards to include individual lab awards, including a picture in Nature!

    Register by Jan. 15. More details can be found at the competition website >>>

     

  3. Final Report by Logan Ebling

    Associated Project(s): 
    Departmental Bike Sharing
    Sustainability Minor

    Logan’s final paper. Pretty fun.

     

    Highlights:

    • “[Bicycle fleets] promotes positive social interactions.”
    • “..I think most of these worries go away [about bike fleets]… one issue that  I saw coming up almost every time a discussion …was money. While totally understandable, it is also frustrating that there is a lack of desire to spend even a low amount of money to purchase one bicycle for employee use.”
    • “…If they [departments] truly don’t have the money to spend, then perhaps the University as a whole should be assigning a sustainability budget specifically to each department that they can spend at their discretion in the name of sustainability.”
    • “Bicycling on campus is the fastest mode of transportation; however, that would not be the case if the bikes are not located conveniently right outside your door or at least at a building next door. For bike sharing dock-style to match the convenience of a dedicated bicycle at the department’s building, the docks would have to be ubiquitous across campus, quite literally outside every building. Financially and logistically, I don’t think that is possible. To me, departmental bicycle fleets would be entirely more convenient for staff needing to get around campus quickly and efficiently.”

     

    And, lastly, “In my opinion, the benefits are so numerous [for bike fleets] that the University should be aggressively funding and initiating bicycle fleets on campus.”

    ~per Lily Wilcock

    Attached Files: 

  6. archived info - previous project intro

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Minor

    A key piece of the Institute’s mission is to prepare the next generation of leaders in sustainability. To that end, its first education initiative is the development of a campuswide undergraduate minor in sustainability.

    This minor, named the Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (SEE) Fellows Program, will promote systems-level thinking about issues of sustainability. Students will develop an integrative understanding of sustainability and understand the trade-offs, barriers, and implications for sustainable decision making. The minor will replace the existing Environmental Fellows Program and provide a broader opportunity for interdisciplinary education, internships, and capstone research projects in the area of sustainability.

  7. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Green Lab Program
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP)

    At the ECBS SWATeam initial meeting Marian Huhman was elected as a new chair. Recruting more proposals for education of other students about energy conservation was discussed.  The "Illini Lights Out" Program pilot last semester was very successful and should be a year-long program. Engaging the whole campus for the "Green Labs" Program is needed. More funding for energy conservation was discussed. The completion of 2015 iCAP tasks poster templete is expected by September 23.

    Attached Files: 

  9. 2016 Game Day Recycling Challenge Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    RecycleMania
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Implemented in October 2014 at the Homecoming football game, the Game Day Recycling Challenge at UIUC brought together hundreds of volunteers from all over the Urbana-Champaign community to assist the thousands of spectators at the game in reducing waste – from the money spent sending materials to landfill to the volume of materials that impact our water, air, and soil. This event was part of a national competition divided up by conference and division, and at the end of the day a waste diversion rate of 60% was achieved.

    After a hiatus in 2015, the Game Day Recycling Challenge hopes to return to even greater success. In addition to reducing the waste products from a single football game, this project will work to change fans’ habits and permanently alter the waste stream of Division of Intercollegiate Athletics events from landfilling all waste to a more sustainable multi-stream system

    Attached Files: 

  10. Circular Economy Fall 2015 Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Student Farm
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The Sustainable Student Farm (SSF), has been growing sustainably produced vegetables for the U of I campus community since 2009. Since 2012, Fresh Press (FP) has been producing paper from agricultural waste like soybean stalks and prairie grass, including much of the waste from SSF.

    This project deepens the connection between SSF and Fresh Press while expanding their offerings to the community. In addition to expanding the current paper production, this project will also allow for the creation of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at the Sustainable Student Farm, increasing the farm’s ability to sustain itself financially. Through employing students while selling their products to the campus and the community, this proposal ultimately truly creates a circular and sustainable economy on campus while furthering campus sustainability goals.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Arboretum Site Clearing and Native Plantings (2016) Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Native Plants at Arboretum
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The former forest research area south of the main Arboretum grounds (near Lincoln Avenue and Windsor Road) has been neglected for over 20 years and has largely been overtaken by invasive plantings that have forced out the native flowering forbs and bushes that normally occur in healthy woodlands – leaving instead honeysuckle, which is unpalatable to almost all native insects and mammals.

    This project clears out the invasive species and begins the replanting efforts to restore native species to the area. Not only does this improve biodiversity around campus, but it also serves as an important educational opportunity for current students to witness the restoration process firsthand.

    Attached Files: 

  12. SAFS Fermentation - Spring 1 2015 Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Agricultural Food System
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The Sustainable Student Farm currently grows numerous varieties of hot chilies, but demand is often lacking in the dining halls over the summer and excess crops are simply composted. One option to help reduce this waste is adding fermentation capabilities to the current Sustainable Agriculture Food Systems to create hot sauce for the dining halls. One especially exciting aspect of this project is that the student body itself will have the opportunity to create different blends of sauces, with the winner of the taste test becoming the official hot sauce for the semester.

    While this equipment will initially be used to create campus’s hot sauce, it can also be used in the future to create products ranging from sauerkraut and pickles to soy sauce and kombucha.

    Attached Files: 

  13. FLB Green Lighting Funding Agreement

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

    Hallways in the Foreign Language Building, especially on the upper floors, may go long periods with no traffic. However, the overhead lighting is always on, which is extremely energy inefficient. This project aims to replace some of the overhead lighting with more energy efficient options and install occupancy sensors to automatically dim the lights when people are not present.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Fume Hood Energy Conservation Pilot Project - Funding Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fume Hood Shut the Sash Campaign
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Fume hoods are one of the largest sources of wasted energy in laboratories because of inefficiencies in fume hood use. This proposal specifically funds a Fume Hood Energy Conservation Pilot Project in the National Soybean Research Center (NSRC), in which ways to reduce fume hood energy waste through behavioral interventions will be explored.

    Small changes in behavior such as keeping hoods closed when not in use can have large impacts on energy conservation, but behavioral changes can be difficult to achieve. This project adapts Harvard University’s highly successful “Shut the Sash” program to the particular needs of Labs in NSRC, first by working closely with “early adopters” — labs that are actively interested in reducing fume hood energy use — to develop protocols, reminders, and reinforcement/tracking systems that help reduce fume hood-associated energy waste, and then by reaching out to other labs in NSRC. The long-term project goals are to make NSRC a model for the campus in fume hood energy conservation, and to develop an approach to fume hood energy conservation which can be readily applied to other labs and buildings on campus.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Geothermal Profiling Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Given the University of Illinois’ existing reliance on coal-fired steam heating for many buildings, significant changes to campus infrastructure will be required in order to move to being truly carbon neutral. One possible option is geothermal heating, but there is somewhat of a lack of information about the feasibility of geothermal systems on campus.

    This project will conduct a series of high-detail observations of the geothermal profile of campus and analyze the data. The results of the study will help identify the costs and possible challenges associated with adding a significant amount of geothermal heating systems to campus.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Gadget ADA Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Gadget Garage
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The Illini Gadget Garage is an initiative to provide University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff a place to bring their personal electronic devices for assistance with assessment and repair. Using the same “collaborative repair” model employed at the campus bike shop and MakerSpace Urbana, clients with devices in need of repair or troubleshooting can work together with Gadget Garage student staff and volunteers to perform the necessary device assessment and maintenance activities.

    SSC initially funded this project in Fiscal Year 2015, contingent on a permanent site being established. A permanent location has been selected and partially renovated; however, in order to meet the accessibility requirements for final occupancy, additional construction is required.

    This proposal directly funds the construction cost from skilled trades to add ramp access and other code requirements to the Gadget Garage’s permanent location to allow for general occupancy.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Solar Car Small and Full project Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Illini Solar Car

    Illini Solar Car was established last year with aims to design, build, and race a commercially-viable, solar-electric vehicle to compete in the 2019 World Solar Challenge. To meet this long term goal, the organization has the interim goals of building a lighter, single-seat vehicle to allow for competition in the 2016 American Solar Challenge, 2017 World Solar Challenge, and 2018 American Solar Challenge.

    Illinois Solar Car has already received two small grants of under $5,000 each to work on prototyping aspects of their system. Though they have received significant donations of equipment such as solar panels and motors from outside companies, basic supplies to manufacture the car itself still must be purchased.

    The full project funds the remaining costs associated with completing Solar Car’s first full-sized vehicle, with the expectation that having one completed vehicle opens the door for expanded funding opportunities from other sponsors.

    Attached Files: 

  18. IBI Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI) is a registered student organization whose primary mission is to produce biodiesel and soap from waste vegetable oil (WVO) collected from campus dining halls. The Student Sustainability Committee initially voted to fund the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative during its 2012-13 funding cycle; however, due IBI being forced out of their old site at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, SSC funding was put on hold. While they wait for their permanent site in the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, IBI is currently running scaled-down production in a space in Roger Adams Laboratory.

    This project helps IBI to rebuild production up to previous levels at the ISTC, where they were self-funding. An infusion of funding over the next year is critical to allow the IBI to grow and develop into a self-funding organization.

    Agreements are already in place with Campus Fleet and Campus Dining for the sale of biodiesel and soap, respectively.

    Attached Files: 

  19. Our Budding Biomass Boiler

    Associated Project(s): 
    Biomass use on Campus
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Developing and implementing new alternative energy sources is essential to ending the era of fossil fuels and extreme carbon emissions. The more alternative energy sources available, the more potential there is for eradicating fossil fuels as the main energy source. Numerous different innovations have developed within the last few decades because of the massive increase in technology efficiency, and the U of I has taken the initiative to implement many of them. These strides toward alternatives increased after the university committed to cease using coal at Abbott by 2017. The replacement of this power will require as many alternatives available as possible in order to meet the growing need.

    Biomass energy is a great example of how the University of Illinois is converting to more renewable energy sources. Biomass can be used to create energy because it contains stored energy from plants that have absorbed energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. When biomass is burned, this stored energy is released as heat.

    In the Spring of 2014 the SSC funded, Field to Fuel: Biomass Heating on Campus. This project involved purchasing and installing a biomass boiler at the Energy Farm, in order to heat a research greenhouse using Miscanthus that is grown on the Energy Farm. The new biomass boiler arrived in early December, and installation is nearing completion!

    This project is exciting because it is the first biomass energy initiative on campus, and it will work to meet the carbon emission caps that are outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan. Additionally, with this project, they hope to demonstrate the feasibility of biomass on campus, engage and familiarize faculty and staff personnel with the design, installation, and operation of such systems with a view to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy production on campus, support the education and training of students, and create awareness in the larger community about alternative energy sources. The ultimate hope for the project is that a successful pilot will pave the way toward expanded use of biomass heating on our campus and greatly reduce our campus greenhouse gas emissions.

  20. Skip the Bag Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Skip the Bag Campaign
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Campus currently gives out tens of thousands of single-use plastic bags every year through its retail operations, including more than 50,000 each year at the Illini Union Bookstore alone. This proposal seeks to address waste by offering reusable bags via a partnership with on-campus traditions and university-affiliated retailers.

    Approximately 20,000 bags will be supplied to students alongside an educational campaign about the impact of bag waste. The combination of replacing plastic bags with cloth reusable ones and an educational campaign to ensure reuse is projected to save hundreds of gallons of oil and thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions.

    Attached Files: 

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