Students in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering have been working on projects to improve the sustainability of our campus. The Department has requested support to carry out to projects (designing a sump pump water collection and use system, and assisting with the retro-commissioning of Siebel Center), which will are high-impact projects and will involve students.
The goal of this project is to support class projects to assess the impact on sustainability of the green roof atop the new Business Instructional Facility. Students will get the opportunity to make measurements of the filtration and thermal properties of the green roof. Additionally it is hoped that these projects will help establish the roof as a laboratory for future student and faculty research projects on this topic. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $13,100.
The goal of this project is to help inform the campus and community of sustainability related programs, facilities and organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area. This grant will pay for a student RA and GPS equipment to support a class project to map the above, thus adding an educational component to this proposal. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $3,200.
The goal of this project is to construct a green roof atop the Link Gallery between the School of Art + Design and the Krannert Art Museum. This project will be implemented primarily by students and faculty of the School of Art + Design and will be in a highly visible campus location. It will help reduce energy costs at the facility and provide rain water for the surrounding gardens. As Facilities & Services is expected to cover half the cost of resurfacing the roof, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of partially funding the proposal in the amount of $63,900.
Water conservation initiatives have generally taken a back seat to energy conservation at the University of Illinois. Campus Recreation has proposed a comprehensive upgrade of restroom facilities in all three of their buildings, with the potential of reducing water consumption by almost 6.5 million gallons annually. This work would be highly visible to students and in a fellow student-fee supported unit. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of proving upto $30,000 in incentives at the rate of $0.30 per $1.00 spent.
The goal of this project is to fund installation of bicycle parking facilities at the Undergraduate Library, the Ag. Sciences Engineering Building and Freer Hall. Cycling is a sustainable form of transportation, highly used by the student body, and inadequately supported on campus. Thus the students sustainability committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $10,600.
This proposal looks to restore the no-mow zone at the southwest corner of Florida Ave. and Orchard St., as the campus’ first prairie planting. It will provide a site for an array of learning and passive recreation opportunities for both students and members of the extended community, while sequestering greenhouse gases as tangible evidence of the campus commitment to responsible sustainable behavior. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the fully requested amount of $40,000.
The goal of this project would to be to plant a tallgrass prairie garden that mimics the natural prairie growth of Illinois. The garden would go in two locations front of the Basic Sciences Building and be about 10200 sq ft. The garden would consist of 40-50 different plants and consist of around 10000 seedlings. This project will create an area of native habitat on our campus, help educate and engage students about the prairie landscape, integrate with educational opportunities and serve as a pilot for future initiatives of this kind.
The goal of this project is to start a student-operated farm that produces significant quantities of fruits and vegetables for use in the University food service operations. The operation of such a farm will be of significant educational value, reduce carbon emissions associated with food production and transportation as well as be of value to Extension programs. Additionally, this project furthers the university’s role as a land grant institution. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $50,000.
This proposal seeks to provide funding for student education centered around the University of Illinois’s participation in the 2011 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Competition. Each student team participating in this prestigious, international competition is required to build an entirely solar-powered 800 sq. foot house with innovative design features.
Lowering the sashes on laboratory chemical fume hoods (CFHs) can result in significant energy cost savings by reducing the volume of room air that has to be heated or cooled. This project will evaluate the resources, components, and best practices required to develop a model shut the sash program and implement it campus-wide for variable air volume (VAV) CFHs. If successful, the project could generate over $250,200 in annual cost savings. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $4,400.
The goal of this project is to construct an Algae Biodiesel Production Facility at Abott power plant. This facility will sequester some of the flue gases produced at Abott power plant while providing a renewable, carbon neutral fuel source for transportation. The project offers potential for scaling, involves many student organizations and is also expected to be of research interest. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of partially funding the requested amount to the extent of $13,000
In January 2009, the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) and Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) wrote letters to the university administration (trustees, Chancellor and Provost’s offices, deans and assistant deans, department heads, faculty and senate faculty) asking for support for the campus wind farm project.
Student Sustainable Committee (SSC) commits to an additional $200,000 that raises the total student contribution to $500,000.
Following the cancellation of the wind turbine project on South farms, the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) and Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) wrote a complaint letter to the Chancellor Richard Herman. SSC and SECS expressed their disappointment about the decision as well as the timing of the decision. They were also upset because the university didn't discuss or consult with the student stakeholders in this decision.
Daily Illini published an article about wind turbine proposal: "Sustainability Committee struggles to pass wind turbine proposal" -- http://dailyillini.com/news/2008/10/23/sustainability-committee-struggle...
The Chancellor at Urbana recommends for approval of a refundable $5-per-semester Sustainable Campus Environment fee, effective fiscal year 2008, based on a student referendum held on March 6 and 7, 2007. This is in addition to the $2 per-semester fee approved in 2003.
The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) posted this project summary online in September 2005. University Proposal to Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) for Turbine Purchase
By the end of the Spring-2005 semester, $300,000 was accumulated and set aside for the wind energy project on campus by the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC).
