You are here

Project Updates search results

Search tips:
  • This form will search for words in the title OR the description. If you would like to search for the same term(s) across both the title and description, enter the same search term(s) in both fields.
  • This form will search for any of the words you enter in a field, not the exact phrase you enter. If you would like to search for an exact phrase, put double quotes (") around the phrase. For example, if you search for Bike Path you will get results containing either the word Bike OR the word Path, but if you search for "Bike Path" you will get results containing the exact phrase Bike Path.

  1. Chicago Radio News

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0

    A mention about the Solar Farm project (see submission below) will be read on Chicago radio (popular morning show) in September as a part of the university’s branding/marketing efforts.

    UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA - CHAMPAIGN

    Did you know the U of I is building a 20 acre Solar Farm on campus this year that will be one of the largest university solar arrays in the nation?   It will produce enough electricity yearly to power 700 typical U.S. homes.  Just another cool fact brought to you by the U of I.

  11. news mention

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0

    Nice Solar Farm reference in this article about Ohio University….

    “We can learn from and be inspired by these models. Meanwhile, other schools also developing significant solar energy projects, such as University of Maryland (2 MW), Rochester Institute of Technology (2 MW), Elon University (3 MW), University of Illinois (5.87 MW), and Pennsylvania State University (the class of 2015 is holding a solar-array design contest to determine its gift to PSU).”

    http://www.athensnews.com/opinion/readers_forum/ou-can-start-transition-to-green-energy-by-working-with/article_a18cc578-3086-11e5-9dfe-7f529356389c.html

  12. YMCA leaders meet with sustainability staff

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    Emily Cross and Mike Doyle from the University YMCA met with Ben McCall from iSEE, Nancy Holm from ISTC, and Morgan Johnston from F&S to describe the history and process of the YMCA Dump and Run.  The program has been around for approximately 15 years, and a couple years ago they expanded collections to include the campus residence halls.  There are many opportunities to grow the program, and thereby reduce the waste going to landfills, but the YMCA staff are currently at capacity for managing the program.

  13. vertical solar idea

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus
    Vertical Solar Panels on MEB

    The Architecture Review Committee (ARC) got an inquiry about the possiblity of mounting solar vertically on south-facing walls (without windows).  This could be a sheer flush-mounted solar PV array immediately against the wall.  The PVs would not produce as much energy as a roof-top array, but there could be fewer issues with rooftop penetrations, etc.  The ARC noted that there is not a specific policy about this idea yet, and they would willing to work with the idea on installation on a case by case, building by building basis, at least until there is a comprehensive policy in place.

    For a given capacity of PV modules, a vertical wall will harvest 78% of the energy that a flat roof would, and 67% of the energy that could be harvested at a 40 degree tilt. While this is not ideal, the costs may be lower and the maintenance and roof loading concerns would not pertain.  Two possible candidates are the south wall of NSRC (which has no windows in the "central" part) and the south facade of the Tryon Festival Theater in Krannert, which is actually somewhat tilted.

    <post edited on 7/15/2024, added "Vertical Solar Panels on MEB" project, mbwhite>

  15. Monthly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability

    Dear Colleagues:

    We hope this email finds you well. We are writing to provide you an update on the Big Ten Prospectus. Based on conversations with individual partner institutions, Metrics Working Group members, and progress made over the last month, we’ve determined we need to expand the metrics development process to allow for: 

    • Background research on mission level objectives and metrics: Two and a half weeks ago, the Metrics Working Group took a break from their work to allow Emilie to research desired institutional outcomes among executive leadership. Building on a strong foundation from our pre-AASHE conversation and a preliminary list of outcomes compiled by a Purdue student, she took two weeks to read strategic planning documents (e.g., presidential speeches, university-wide and campus specific strategic plans, sustainability reports) from our partner institutions. She will be reaching out to you in the next couple of days to inform you which documents she’s reviewed from your institution and request your suggestions for additional documents you feel should be reviewed. The next two weeks will be spent synthesizing this information into conference wide executive leadership outcomes, priority areas, and metrics. Final conclusions will be outlined in a 1-2 page summary document.
    • Communication with executive leadership: We hope the summary document can be used by each of you to initiate a conversation with one or more allies in executive leadership for the purposes of: 1) conveying basic project details, and 2) obtaining feedback on synthesized outcomes, priority areas, and metrics.
    • Additional time for metrics development: After some very helpful feedback from partner institutions, we’ve extended this process to allow our Metrics Working Group more time and support to build a set of metrics for the prospectus based on mission level outcomes and metrics, our metrics developed at the pre-AASHE meeting in Portland, and STARS.

    We’ve summarized these modifications in the attached graphic.

    Given these modifications to the process, we’ve extended the timeline for the project with the pre-AASHE meeting in Minneapolis now serving as a midpoint check-in for the project, and a potential meeting at the Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference serving as the final project deadline. A summary of key dates can be found below.

    We will be touching base monthly to inform you of progress on the project, but we encourage you to reach out any time with comments or questions about the process.

    To-date, nine (9) partner institutions have committed to the Prospectus project by paying the invoice that was distributed by AASHE on our behalf.  We have a verbal commitment from several of the remaining institutions and hope that you can get the invoices paid by the end of the month.  Thank you for your continued support and participation.

    Best,

    Michael, Denice, Liz, and Emilie

    ***********************************************************************************************************************************

    REVISED PROJECT TIMELINE:

    Please find definitions for each stakeholder group at the bottom of the timeline.

    • July 22-August 3: Partner institution and executive leadership comment period for summary document
      • August 3: Deadline for partners institutions to submit comments
    • July 27-August 31: Metrics Working Group develops prospectus metrics
    • September 1-11: Partner institution comment period for metrics
    • September 14-October 16: Preliminary data requested from partner institutions
    • October 24: Pre-AASHE meeting in Minneapolis (RSVP here)
    • November 16: Final data due from partner institutions
    • December 21: Preliminary draft of prospectus due to planning team
    • January 11-February 2: Partner institution comment period for draft
    • February 8-26: Executive leadership comment period for revised draft
    • March 7: Final copy ready for publication
    • Early-April: Pre-SSCC conversation to discuss next steps

    STAKEHOLDER GROUPS:

    • Partner Institutions: All institutions participating in the project
    • Executive Leadership: Executive leaders at the partner institutions
    • Metrics Working Group: A group of sustainability officers—from partner institutions—who have agreed to participate in the metric development process. Please note this group is open to anyone interested.
    • Consultant: Emilie Rex, former assistant director of sustainability at Indiana University, is serving as the consultant for the project
    • Planning Team: The planning team consists of Liz Christiansen (Iowa), Michael Gulich (Purdue), Denice Wardrop (Penn State), and Emilie Rex (project consultant)

    Michael J. Gulich, AIA, LEED

    Director of University Sustainability

    Purdue University

    Attached Files: 

  16. Overview of SmartWay, by Warren Lavey

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA SmartWay Affiliate

    Many purchasers require that their trucking carriers participate in the SmartWay Transport Partnership.  In addition, purchasers can participate in SmartWay as shippers (as UIUC Housing did), which facilitates the tracking of emissions from their carriers and allows them to compete for awards presented annually by EPA.

    Here are some examples.

    1. The State of Illinois' contract for Small Package Air and Ground Parcel Delivery Services, signed in 2014, requires that the carrier "must maintain its enrollment in the USEPA SmartWay® Program and continue in 'good standing', by submitting required data annually, for the duration of any awarded contract without backsliding."  "Backsliding" refers to maintaining the carrier's annual SmartWay performance ranking (1 to 5).  See State of Illinois Contract CPOGS15001 (attached), Section 1.5.1 and Attachment A.  This contract is available for agency and university use.  The RFP required that bidders participate in the SmartWay Transport Partnership.
    2. A federal contract -- Domestic Delivery Services 3, for the General Services Administration and at least 14 other participating agencies, signed in 2014 -- includes the following provision:  "Contractors are required to belong to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership, a voluntary partnership between the Federal Government and the trucking industry, to improve the environmental performance of freight and small package transport by adopting fuel and emission-reducing strategies. As an alternative, contractors may also report GHG emissions directly to GSA and the Department of Energy through the annual GHG inventory process which is followed by federal agencies."  See GSA, "DDS 3 Green Features Fact Sheet"  http://www.gsa.gov/portal/getMediaData?mediaId=196419.
    3. Federal Executive Order 13693 ("Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade", March 2015) directs agencies to apply preferences in purchasing for SmartWay participating carriers and SmartWay products.  See Section 3(i)(ii): "[T]he head of each agency shall, where life-cycle cost effective, beginning in fiscal year 2016, ... promote sustainable acquisition and procurement by ensuring that each of the following environmental performance and sustainability factors are included to the maximum extent practicable for all applicable procurements in the planning, award, and execution phases of the acquisition by ... purchasing sustainable products and services identified by EPA programs including ... WaterSense certified products and services (water efficient products); Safer Choice labeled products (chemically intensive products that contain safer ingredients), and SmartWay Transport partners and SmartWay products (fuel efficient products and services)."  https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/19/executive-order-planning-federal-sustainability-next-decade
    4. The SmartWay Excellence Awards for 2014 recognized seven shippers for moving 98 percent of their products and merchandise with high-performing SmartWay carriers: Lowe's, The Home Depot, Hewlett-Packard, Johns Manville, Kimberly-Clark, S. C. Johnson, and Nordstrom.  http://www.epa.gov/smartway/about/documents/awards/420f14052.pdf   As another illustration, Best Buy strongly encourages its carriers to participate in SmartWay, contractually requires all of its over-the-road trucking and intermodal business to be handled by SmartWay partners, and provides SmartWay partners prime docking times and locations. http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/best-buy-an-active-smartway-shipper-partner/

  17. Jul 9 2015 Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Wind Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
    Appropriately Staff Sustainable Transportation Efforts
    Reduce Emissions from Transportation
    Develop Scenarios for Converting the UI Fleet to Renewable Fuels
    Appropriately Staff Zero Waste Efforts
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Reduce Emissions from Energy Consumption
    Sustainability Council

    see file

    Several SWATeam recommendations were discussed.  Also, an update from the Sustainability Council was provided:

    "Review of Council Meeting/Status of iCAP Approval - The Sustainability Council meeting went very well with lots of good discussion. There were not too many serious objections to the iCAP. They would like to see financial information, such as cost-benefit analysis on projects. This information will be included in the study for accelerating our carbon neutrality date. The cover letter from the Chancellor affirming our commitment will include language about the current fiscal climate in Illinois. The Chancellor was keen to be able to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. Other concerns were in regard to the net zero space item and they suggested a space audit be included in the iCAP."

    Attached Files: 

  18. IBI student leaders meet with iSEE representatives

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    Adam Dornford, Rahul Gogia, and Tarsis Sousa met with Professor Ben McCall, Professor Madhu Khanna, and Morgan Johnston at iSEE.  The discussion revolved around the faculty advisor needs for the group.  Madhu Khanna will be the faculty advisor of record, and Ben McCall will continue to participate with the program.  There may be a graduate student in analytical chemistry who could assist with the chemical aspects of the program.

    Issues reviewed at this meeting included:

    • numbers of students anticipated to participate once IBI is running again - at the height of the IBI program in the past, there were nearly 100 students involved - need to recruit some new students - partnering with I-energy - would be good to have hands-on work for getting students interested
    • equipment selection for the new program - they will start with using the existing 50 gallon plug-n-play items BioPro 190 have two of them in the basement of ABL
    • soap program - for Dining Services pre-wash of dishes
    • consider tracking utility costs for the overall program - with a Life-cycle Cost Accounting (LCA), and associated GHG emission reductions
    • potential bench space options AESB, RAL?
    • what information does IBRL need in order to fully support IBI being included in their facility? feasibility analysis.  

    Emails from each group - Dining, Car Pool, Energy Farm, SSC - to document what you will do...  prepare a mini proposal (with short term and long term plans) and send to this group - include:

    • organizational structure - who is doing what, including faculty advisors and all students, management plan - how many students are going to be in and out of the facility
    • phases for process - over a 3 year plan, to show continuity
    • business plan for operations - how will you do it
    • financial program - costs to operate and anticipated revenue

  20. IBI key student leaders gearing up for the fall

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    IBI representatives, Adam Dornford and Rahul Gogia, are meeting with campus stakeholders to get ready for the fall semester.  Discussion topics include:

    • temporary storage space (move from ISTC)
    • long term lab space
    • funding for new equipment (some funding is allocated already by the SSC)
    • faculty advisor options
    • end users on campus for the biodiesel that will be produced
    • supply of waste food oil from Housing
    • benefits to students, and ways to reach out to get new student members across disciplinary lines
    • business case to IBRL for a continuous operation at their new facility

Pages