N-G Mailbag question: Output vs. expectations for UI solar farms
Associated Project(s):
Hi, Steve. A News-Gazette Mailbag question for you:
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Projects Updates for Solar Farm 1.0
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FY22 Total Retired RECs
Associated Project(s):Attached is the summary document for the total RECs retired for UIUC in FY22.
Retirement Transaction Confirmation
Associated Project(s):Attached is the retirement transaction confirmation from MRETS and the JV for the REC charge.
Solar Farm Taxes
Associated Project(s):Attached are the Solar Farm taxes for tax year 2021.
Acknowledgement and Confirmation
Associated Project(s):Anthony Spurlock wants to discuss the buyout options after 7 or 10 years, the determination of fair market value, and the ongoing maintenance requirements for Solar Farm 1.0 by the end of the year with Rockwell Finance.
FY21 Green Power Partnership Renewed
Associated Project(s):F&S completed the renewal of our recognition as a Green Power Partner through the US Environmental Protection Agency. Green Power Partners of our scale now have to use renewable power for seven percent of their annual consumption. Fortunately, the FY21 green power supply for FY21 was 9%, which is a +1.72% increase from the FY19 supply of 7.28%. See attached file.
Overview submitted:
Outage Request Form
Associated Project(s):Allen E. Wilson from Rockwell Financial Group reached out to inform F&S that there has been a complete outage request form filed by Jeff Isaacs to shut down Solar Farm 1.0 on 8/23/2021 at 7:30 AM CDT for preventative maintenance on the site's switchgear. This is a dedicated line going from Solar Farm 1.0 to distribution center 10 directly so costumers will not be affected by this outage.
Spring 2021: iSEE Quarterly Update (iQ)
Associated Project(s):The Spring 2021 iSEE Quarterly Update (iQ) was released with the following message from Madhu Khanna, the Interim Director of iSEE:
Dear Colleagues,
Attached, please find the Spring 2021 “iQ” – the quarterly update from the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).
Findings at the Farm - F&S Insider article
Associated Project(s):A team of researchers will be measuring the impact of natural vegetation at the Solar Farm 2.0 grounds. Below the 31,122 bi-facial solar panels lie 54 acres perfect for pollinator-friendly plantings.
But how exactly does one calculate the plants’ effectiveness? How about: count the bugs.
Thanks for a great Earth Week 2021!
Associated Project(s):Thank you for a great Earth Week, Illini! Here a few highlights:
- SSC hosted an Environmental Quad Day
- Climate Strike on the Quad
- Virtual open house for campus solar
- Illini Union Pretzels + Plants and recycling center launch
Earth Month is Here!
Associated Project(s):Earth Month is here! Can you believe it? I would like to first draw your attention to the iSEE Sustainability Calendar as a reference point for the many virtual and in-person events (maintaining COVID-19 safety and social distancing precautions) held this month and beyond.
Solar Farm System Inquiry
Associated Project(s):Attached is an email chain where William Pellico of the DOE Facility Fermilab in Batavia, IL inquires about the impact of UIUC's solar farm.
A Federal Renewable Energy Certificate Guide is also attached below.
Newsgazette Mailbag about campus renewables
Associated Project(s):Renewable energy at the UI "How much power is each of the renewable (University of Illinois) sources generating? How many houses can each provide power for? Are there plans to add more than what we currently have? How many years does it take for the cost of each to be paid off? We have a growing interest in this and many homes now also have this."
Morgan White, the UI's associate director of Facilities & Services for sustainability, has all your answers.
Local Solar projects shared at CCNet brownbag
Associated Project(s):CCNet hosted several local solar panelists in January 2021. This Zoom meeting was also shared via Facebook Live:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=429039901765435&ref=watch_permalink
FY20 Green Power Partnership renewed
Associated Project(s):F&S has renewed our campus' recognition as a Green Power Partner for FY20 through the Environmental Protection Agency. This voluntary program promotes the use of green power, and the combined supply for the Champaign-Urbana campus during FY20 was 7.2% of the total electricity usage.
Please see the attached file to see a more in-depth look at the green power supplied and generated on campus
Site visit with ISU VR Tour creators
Associated Project(s):Sol Systems and F&S hosted visitors from Illinois State University today, to initiate development of a Virtual Reality tour of Solar Farm 2.0. The intention is to develop a walking path that will be repeated by the camerawoman at four key timeframes this fall: post installation, tracker installation, module installation, and electrical installation.
The Day After Tomorrow: Following Advancements of the New U of I Solar
Associated Project(s):CUYSS Team|8/5/2020
The Youth Climate Justice Forum presents this podcast series in which we will be trying to find ways for all of us to continue to work for climate justice during and after the coronavirus crisis. This week, Caroline and Grace interview Morgan White, Director of Sustainability at University of Illinois Facilities and Services. They are currently working to construct the University’s newest solar farm, building upon what they learned from their last solar project.
Collaborating with ISU to develop Virtual Tours
Associated Project(s):Matt Hagamann from Illinois State University (ISU) is leading a team to develop a Virtual Tour of the University of Illinois Solar Farms. In a July 2020 email, he explained:
Plans for a virtual solar farm tour
Associated Project(s):Morgan White (F&S) and Mathew Hagaman (ISU) are collaborating on a virtual solar farm tour, funded through an ISEIF grant being coordinated by Mr. Hagaman at ISU. The virtual tour is starting with Solar Farm 1.0, with a site visit on 7/30/2020.
Mailbag solar article: Suggestion for UI solar panels
Associated Project(s):"Why doesn't the company installing the solar panels at U of I put them over the parking lot? I would provide shade for the cars underneath and would eliminate having to kill whatever would be underneath them in the fields."
The best option for building solar panels is ground-mounted, said Morgan White, the associate director for sustainability at the University of Illinois.