Students ~ join us for Illini Lights Out on Friday, 9/17/21 at 5:30 PM at the Foreign Languages Building! We will meet in the lobby where you will receive instructions before going out to shut off the lights. Let's reduce our campus's energy and environmental footprint together! Come by yourself or bring a friend or group, and don't forget to wear a mask!
You can start this weekend by participating in two virtual events.
Help turn off thousands of lights to reduce energy consumption on campus. Sign up to participate in iSEE's Illini Lights Out (ILO) and demonstrate your commitment to fighting climate change and saving our planet!
Hundreds of students have been participating in the event to date, resulting in over 100 tons of CO2 emissions being averted and over 120 megawatt hours of electricity being saved.
Join iSEE, the Student Sustainability Committee and Facilities & Services for a "plogging" fun run/walk, a tour of Abbott Power Plant, a celebration event with organizations and RSOs that includes the Energy Conservation Incentive Program awards and updates on Illinois Climate Action Plan goals, a socially responsible inve
The Student Sustainability Committee allocated $10,000 to Illini Lights Out to expand the program.
This proposal directly funds:
Fall 2017 semesterly report submitted to the Student Sustainability Committee for Ilini Lights Out.
Attached is the ILO Final Tally for Fall 2017. This semester had 4 ILO events in total. Information such as number of volunteers, number of lights turned off, etc., can be found in the tally.
At the ECBS SWATeam's third meeting of FY17, the members discussed methods for how the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) can become more sustainable. For example, there are lighting opportunities at Irwin Practice Facility and at Atkins tennis center. In addiiton, Mike Marquissee, director of Budget, Research and Planning for energy services, presented a mini-lecture (also attached) to the team on their funding options and predicted budget for FY18.
The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) is looking to become more involved with the SWATeams and sustainability on campus. ECBS proposed ideas such as decreasing refrigerator usage, making a climate action plan specifically for DIA, and promoting recycling at tailgates. Illini Lights Out had their first event on September 29, and it was a success. 284 light switches were turned off in 13 different buildings. The Green Labs Coordinator position is slowly making progress, but there is a concern with funding.
The Energy Conservation and Building Standards SWATeam gathered for the first meeting of the FY2017 on September 12. The team briefly reflected on the progress made thus far (e.g. Zero Net Growth policy was passed in 2015 and a 30% campus-wide energy reduction goal was achieved 3 years early). Updates on current projects were also presented, such as on the new leadership of the Illini Lights Out program.
The iCAP Working Group (iWG) met on May 2nd, 2017 to discuss the ECONS005 Illini Lights Out Continuation recommendation and started the assessment of this recommendation. Their official comment was:
"This is an important part of the iCAP and iSEE should take on long-term management and coordination of this program. Moving forward, data on total lights shut off should be collected and shared with building occupants and an educational component should be developed. Perhaps a competitive aspect for participation could be added as well."
Following the completion of iWG assessment, the SWATeam recommendation ECONS005 Illini Lights Out Continuation was transmitted to iSEE.
For future updates, please refer to Illini Lights Out.
See iWG assessment of ECONS005 Illini Lights Out Continuation here.
The ECBS SWATeam would like to be able to continue the ‘Illini Lights Out’ program and expand it to one Friday night each month during the academic year. Interest in doing so is based on the phenomenal success of the pilot ‘Illini Lights Out’ conducted on April 15th, 2016.
On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:
1) Status of our recommendations to iWG;
2) Review of Illini Lights Out over the past year;
3) Any final thoughts, recommendations for Eco-Olympics;
4) Progress on building energy standards;
5) Updates on the revolving loan fund (RLF) projects;
6) Turning off computers. Change in policy, at least at F&S. Implications for Certified Green Office Program?
7) Building level energy consumption report summary;
8) Good-byes and thanks to departing members.
During seven Friday evening “Illini Lights Out” events in the 2016-17 academic year, teams of student volunteers switched off more than 11,000 fixtures and closed windows in campus buildings around the Main Quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One bulb at a time, this small action taken by more than 200 students saved campus about $3,400 in energy costs — not to mention lengthened the lifespan of several thousand lightbulbs.
see file
See attached agenda for iWG meeting held on May 2nd, 2017.
