In October 2010, the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) wrote a letter to the Office of Sustainability at the U of I recommending that the wind turbine project receive $500,000 in funding with following conditions:

1) That all funds provided by the SSC be returned in full if the project is postponed, cancelled or placed on hold.

2) That all funds provided by the SSC for be expended by December 31 st, 2011 and that a final report of all work completed and accounting of funds spent be provided to us by that date as well.

As I have thought about this effort, I concluded that weatherization inspections would be most productive in our converted residential units on campus - frame structures and 1-3 story masonry buildings which were originally constructed primarily as residential units.  While I don't have a ready inventory of those structures, following is an extremely incomplete list meant to typify the kinds of buildings I am thinking about:

• The two converted houses east of Uni High on Springfield, used by Uni High.
• The converted house on the northwest corner of Green and Goodwin.
• The converted house southeast of ISR on the north side of Illinois.
• 608 S. Matthews, 708 S. Matthews, converted houses along Nevada between Matthews and Goodwin.
• Converted units along Oregon between Matthews and Goodwin.
• Converted units on the south side of Nevada west of Lincoln Avenue, etc

These buildings fly far below the radar of our formal retro-commissioning efforts, since we have so many improvement opportunities in much larger buildings that consume significantly more resources.

For the Student Sustainability Committee to provide funding for a students who would spearhead and manage the program, in addition to financial incentives to the surveyors, is a brilliant idea that makes this effort that much more workable during a very busy time at Facilities & Services.  That approach will also provide real world, resume quality experience for the people who step up to the challenge.

A part of program development that such student employees should undertake would be to identify the kinds of information that would be applicable toward weatherization of the types of structures identified above.  F&S staff would discuss with the students their conclusions and would provide grounding in what weatherization remediation activities we could/would actually pursue.  That approach is preferable to F&S telling you what information we want you to gather.

I just grabbed off the web the single quick reference below as one example of what resources are readily available to the student program managers as they work to identify what information the surveyors would be asked to gather.

Does this give you what you need to flesh out your idea?

Carl Wegel

Director of Maintenance, and all-around nice guy

Weatherization Tips For Your Home.
...Recommended by US DOE (1)

-- Test your home for air tightness. A professional blower door test is the best option, however you can find major leaks yourself. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather-stripping.

-- Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.

-- Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducts, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and over cabinets.

-- Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.

-- Look for dirty spots in your attic insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by foaming the gap, or by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.

-- Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with double-pane windows. Storm windows may as much as double the R-value of single-pane windows and they can help reduce drafts, water condensation, and frost formation. As a less costly and less permanent alternative, you can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Remember that the plastic must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.

-- When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes 24 hours a day!

From: Jennifer Koys [mailto:jennifer.koys@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:14 PM
To: Wegel, Carl V (Facilities & Services); Henson, K Dean (Facilities & Services); Johnston, Morgan (Facilities & Services)
Cc: Anna Franco
Subject: Campus Weatherization Project

Hello,

Hope you're all having a good week! I was wondering if you would be able to provide a "wish list" of the data that would potentially be useful to obtain from student assessments, how you would like it organized, and what you would want to do with the data obtained? This would be very helpful to have as I move forward.

You mentioned at the meeting having students help run the program. Thinking about this, one possibility I came up with was hiring a student worker to work under someone at F&S to run the program. In the years after the initial start-up, this student could be chosen from the students involved in the assessments during the previous year, as they would possess background knowledge and experience necessary to effectively coordinate the program. Do you have any thoughts on this idea?

Thanks!

Jenny
 

SSC minutes from 10/8/10 include this update:

1. Compost-Kevin
   
   1. Met with Ryan Welch
   2. Completely on board
   3. Right now all they have is woodchips and leaves
      
      1. Used for mulch, and tons of excess
   4. Met with Joe Kunkel from vet med
      
      1. Director of facilities
      2. On board with anything
      3. Animal science is the hold up, but right now it is composting

2010 Sustainability Week

The highly attended Sustainability Week 2010 shed green light upon campus last week! The former president of Greenpeace USA, John Passacantando, and author Jeff Biggers inspired and informed students, faculty, and the community. Tours and workshops showcased some of the University’s most green spaces and initiatives, while local sustainable food events tickled our taste buds.

Green light Let's GO

From October 25 – 29, 2010, the inaugural Sustainability Week shed green light upon campus movements and activities.  Students, faculty and the community attended. Chancellor Robert A. Easter showed his support for the week with his opening speech on Monday before introducing Jeff Biggers, author of "Reckoning at Eagle Creek, the Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland" kicked off the week on Monday with impassioned testimony revealing the tale of the destructive uprooting of natural habitats and families in Illinois throughout history by the coal industry. His theatrical performance had the audience pinned to their seats, appealing to various emotions. After, farmers from various counties, a representative of the Champaign County Board and the Prairie Rivers Network publically brainstormed ways to combat the potential depletion of the Mahomet aquifer, our main source of drinking water, by an incoming coal company from Carlisle, Indiana.

Thursday, John Passacantando, the former president of GreenPeace USA, met and interacted with students at a Q&A Workshop at the YMCA. Students voiced their confusions and concerns regarding environmental issues and "greenwashing"; Passacantando clarified the political hurdles and shortcomings of our system, shared his expertise and experience, and provided authentic and honest answers. Later, he presented an inspiring keynote address providing attendees with purposeful facts and lively anecdotes regarding his time as an environmental activist and leader of the largest environmental organization in the world. View videos from Keynote: Part 1 and Part 2

In Good Green Graces

The week also showcased some of the University's most progressive green spaces; the Business Instructional Facility, the Student Sustainable Farm, Ikenberry Commons, the Art Annex, the Waste Transfer Station, theCampus Bike Plan, just to name a few.

The Common Ground Food Co-Op hosted a cooking class offering not only savory recipes, but also ones that cater to sustainability and budget constraints. The Sustainability Fair, held at the Union, boasted a mosaic of booths and tables explaining the latest news and accomplishments of organizations on campus and in the community. The Electric Vehicles Club showed off the newest cutting-edge models available, complete with friendly members providing information on safety, speed, and practicality. 

The Finale Celebration, held on Friday at the Art East Annex 2, showcased the new dance floor, designed and built by architecture and dance students from the former IMPE Gym 4 floor before the ARC renovation. Chef Benjamin prepared a delectable variety of seasonal fall dishes using local foods. Guests enjoyed hors d'œuvres such as Curtis Apple Orchard and goat cheese crostinis, filet de boeuf with caramelized onions and bleu cheese, a bruschetta bar with fresh spreads, a pumpkin cheese ball with apple slices, chocolate truffles and hot apple cider as they awaited the raffle drawing. Prizes were distributed to 39 lucky winners, the grand prize being a freshly finished bike from the Campus Bike Project.

Gear into Green

As the year continues, we all may find ourselves in a few traffic jams—juggling school, jobs, internships, activities and our general lives! Sustainability Week encouraged the community not to turn a blind eye to the environment in which we thrive. Keep in mind the processes behind being able to fuel up your car, take a shower, heat your room, and drink clean water. Keep track of the actions institutions like the University of Illinois take to preserve our environment. And most importantly, do your part. Get informed. Get involved. The light is green!

Lauren Turk
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MA European Union Studies 2012
BA French Commercial Studies, Communication 2010
University of Illinois Office of Sustainability, Graduate Assistant
Student Sustainability Committee Intern, Solar Energy
Sustainability Week 2010 Communication Coordinator 
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Photos from Sustainability Week 2010
 

Videos from Sustainability Week 2010:
- Chancellor Robert A. Easter - Sustainability Week Kickoff
- John Passacantando - Part 1
- John Passacantando - Part 2
- Jeff Biggers
- Ikenberry Dining Hall Sustainable Practices

For the complete list of events, please click here.

In September 2010, the University of Illinois received acceptance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In last week of August 2010, The Daily Illini published an article focusing on the return from sustainability investment -- "Sustainability investment guarantees returns" -- https://web.archive.org/web/20101206070431/http://www.dailyillini.com/op...

CCNet has created Google Groups for following discussion topics:

1. CCNet renewable energy
2. CCNet Social Justice
3. CCNet Local Foods
4. CCNet Energy Efficiency
5. CCNet Water
6. CCNet Transportation