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  1. 2014 Bicycle Guide & Map Released

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Area Bicycle Map

    Champaign County Bikes, with support from the University of Illinois, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana, and many local area organizations and businesses, has released the 2014 Champaign-Urbana-Savoy Area Bicycle Guide and Map.  

    The Office of the Dean of Students sponsored the printing of 12,000 copies of the map for Campus, which are being distributed to units in August. University staff and student interns worked with CCB to help edit and design the Guide and Map.

  2. Initial Meeting with Campus Parking, Car pool and Sustainability

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    The first meeting was held on August 6th to discuss campus public use EV charging station plans.

    It was determined at this time more research into parking enforcement options, types of charging stations to use, and sites available for installation is needed. Follow-up meeting to take place after research findings are completed.

    To this date no method exists to interface from the chargers software to the campus parking enforcement software. 

    See picture below: with this type of charger the enforcement officer could identify that billing is taking place by the Solid lightning bolt on the right as opposed to the one on the left.

  3. Report by Anna Hochlater

    Associated Project(s): 
    Burrill/ Morrill Walkway

    "The Burrill/ Morrill Hall corridor offers a unique opportunity to explore methods of sustainable design through conventional practices of rain garden design as well as hardscaping improvements, lighting installations and additional non-plant strategies.  A moderate strategy is advised. In this conversation moderate is understood to mean more than a creating only rain garden while leaving the existing vegetation, but less than a full redesign which would completely reshape the hardscaping.  A moderate strategy addresses the creation of the rain garden, all the landscape beds while leaving the mature canopy trees in place, and makes some alterations to the existing hardscape.  Perhaps the most difficult challenges of the corridor will be to unify the character of the corridor landscape beds and to design a solu-tion suitable for the harsh conditions of very little sun, significant wind, and heavy pedestrian use."

    Attached Files: 

  6. Update from Justin Johnston at UI Purchasing

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0

    Justin Johnston confirmed that the answers to all the State Purchasing Officer's questions have been sent to Steve Rotello, the State Purchasing Officer.  Justin is working to set a meeting with the SPO, Justin, and Morgan Johnston to review the current status of this approval.

  7. Illinois named to the Green College Honor Roll

    Associated Project(s): 
    The Princeton Review Green Honor Roll

    The Princeton Review Green College Honor Roll 2014Illinois is pleased to be named to the 2014 Princeton Review Green College Honor Roll.  The Princeton Review tallies information from over 800 schools on sustainability practices and Illinois is one of only 22 to be named to the Honor Roll!

    Criteria for the Green College Honor Roll broadly covers three areas: 1) whether the school’s students have a campus quality of life that is healthy and sustainable, 2) how well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and 3) the school's overall commitment to environmental issues. The survey includes questions about the school's energy use, recycling, food, buildings, and transportation as well as academic offerings and sustainability-related action plans.

    Attached Files: 

  9. Update from Bill Krudienier

    Associated Project(s): 
    Hartley Garden Renovation

    Morgan encouraged Bill to ask the SSC for funding to do the design work for a rainwater harvesting system for the Hartley Gardens.  He said he will talk with Matt Edmonson to get an estimate of the cost for the project, so he is ready to reqeust funding when the SSC call for inquiries goes out this fall.

  10. Update from Bill Krudienier

    Associated Project(s): 
    Native Plants at Arboretum

    There are native plants throughout the Arboretum and in concentrated paces around the ponds - wetland and mezic.  There is also a prairie just south of the Polinatarium, maintained by John Marlin and volunteers.

     

  11. Plants moved to Arboretum

    Associated Project(s): 
    Orchard Downs Multifunctional Landscape (ODMFL) [ARCHIVED]

    The ODMFL plants have been moved to the Arboretum growth house.  Sarah talked with Bill Krudienier and moved the plants to the Arboretum as they continue to grow.  Bill met with May Berenbaum and Terry Harkness to discuss the best use of the plants in the Arboretum, within the master plan for the site.  It is possible that they will put them near the Pollinatarium and the children's garden.

    The Arboretum is very pleased to be able to help and excited about the possibilities for these plants and future endeavors.

  12. Prioritizing locations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Fountain Retrofit
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics

    Morgan reached out to Felicia Speranske to get a current contact with the ISS for this project.  The funding was delayed, arriving in late June, rather than mid May, and this project is waiting for a list of priority locations to begin installation.  Morgan also sent an email to Damani Bolden the Illinois Student Senate (ISS) president.

  13. discussion with Dave Wilcoxen and Eliana Brown

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management

    The Sustainability Fellows program was going to include a research fellowship for Professor Gale Fulton to create a stormwater master plan for campus, utilizing green infrastructure.  Unfortunately, Professor Fulton took a job at another university.  To move forward with the stormwater master plan, the F&S Environmental Compliance department will seek to create a stormwater master plan for campus using student assistants and in-house staff.

  14. Anna hired to complete this work

    Associated Project(s): 
    Burrill/ Morrill Walkway

    Eliana Brown provided the following update.

    • Anna Hochhalter was hired by F&S for the summer to complete a revised design of the Burrill/Morrill walkway rain garden / native plants improvements.  She reviewed the entire walkway from Mathews to Goodwin.  Her report is expected August 15th.
    • The space should be multifunctional, use native plants, accommodate the stormwater run off with green infrastructure.  It could include new lighting and artworks.
    • This project will use the existing SSC funding, as well as other funding sources.  The other funding sources may include Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, and/or F&S.
    • Eliana will take the project scope change request to SSC this fall, for approval.
    • Matt Edmonson has been involved with this project and will inform Eliana about any additional campus approvals that may be needed.

  15. Date Set for 2013 Light the Night Event

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night

    The annual Light the Night event will take place onThursday, September 12, 2013, from 4pm-7pm or while supplies last.  As in past years, the 2013 event will take place at the corners of Lincoln Ave. & Illinois St. as well as Green St. & Wright St. The Campus Area Transportation Study (CATS) education working group voted in June to approve the 2013 date for the event, and also selected a new bike light to be distributed this year. The event is jointly funded by the CATS member agencies (University of Illinois, Cities of Urbana and Champaign, and CU-MTD). 

  16. Land Use Data for US Solar Farms

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0

    National Renewable Energy Laboratories conducted research into solar land use requirements, but were unable to find a comprehensive evaluation from the literature. NREL created this report to analyze data related to land use in large solar arrays. The paragraph below explains the efficiency of land by type of solar project, and the link takes you directly to the report.

    Generation-weighted averages for total area requirements range from about 3 acres/GWh/yr for CSP towers and CPV installations to 5.5 acres/GWh/yr for small 2-axis flat panel PV power plants. Across all solar technologies, the total area generation-weighted average is 3.5 acres/GWh/yr with 40% of power plants within 3 and 4 acres/GWh/yr. For direct-area requirements the generation-weighted average is 2.9 acres/GWh/yr, with 49% of power plants within 2.5 and 3.5 acres/GWh/yr. On a capacity basis, the total-area capacity-weighted average is 8.9 acres/MWac, with 22% of power plants within 8 and 10 acres/MWac. For direct land-use requirements, the capacity-weighted average is 7.3 acre/MWac, with 40% of power plants within 6 and 8 acres/MWac. Other published estimates of solar direct land use generally fall within these ranges.
     

    https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56290.pdf 

  17. archived portal content

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Area Bicycle Map

    The third (2014) publication of the map was released in August, 2013. The Office of the Dean of Students provided funding for the printing of 12,000 copies to be distributed across campus during the 2013-2014 school year. To request printed copies for your department or group, please contact the Campus Bicycle Coordinator, Amelia Neptune, at aneptune@illinois.edu.

  18. Sustainability Fellow, Madhu Viswanathan, begins advisory position

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project
    FY14 Sustainability Fellows Program [ARCHIVED]
    • Since we want to put the energy displays around campus, Madhu Viswanathan can help us identify the best method for implementing these to change behavior. 
    • We need to determine how many displays to install, where they should go, what information should be on them. 
    • How can we use this system that F&S now has through your office to actually improve energy use behavior. 
    • We would like building users to become more conscious of the energy use in their building(s).
    • What sort of display and style will really grab their attention?
    • Is social media something that we should utilize for this effort?

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