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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.
"As part of our Climate Leadership Commitments the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a goal of producing at least 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year from on-campus solar," she said. "When we evaluated options for meeting this goal, rooftop solar, solar over parking areas, and ground-mounted solar were all considered. The most cost-effective option is ground-mounted solar, and it also allows for larger-scale installations.
"For a sense of the scale, the two solar farms will be a total of 75 acres, while the largest parking lot on campus is less than 15 acres.
"When installing solar panels over parking areas, there are additional infrastructure and labor costs to raise the solar panels above the ground level. Although we do not currently have any solar over parking areas, Facilities & Services is working with the Parking Department to evaluate potential locations for a pilot installation. We are also continuing to install rooftop solar on individual buildings."
Solar panels are on the following five Urbana campus buildings:
— Business Instructional Facility
— the Activities & Recreation Center
— Wassaja Residence Hall
— University High School Gymnasium
— Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building.
"I'd also like to emphasize that the ground-mounted solar panels do not harm the plants under them. After building the first Solar Farm, we learned that there was an excellent opportunity for growing useful plants under and around the panels," said White. "This is a great opportunity for creating a multi-functional ecosystem, with pollinator supportive plants and protected areas for small animals and insects."
Provost letter about space survey 2020
Associated Project(s):See letter from Provost Cangellaris about the 2020 Space Survey, the iCAP 2020, and the COVID-19 impacts on campus facilities.
Attached Files:The Day After Tomorrow: A Chat with Traci Barkely about the Positive Effects of Gardening.
Associated Project(s):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, Jasmine and Charlotte interview Traci Barkely, the director of Sola Gratia farms.
https://youthclimateforum.wixsite.com/summit/podcast/episode/1cd987bf/th...
Curtis Road landscaping
Associated Project(s):Tom's Mailbag in the News-Gazette included information about the Solar Farm 2.0 landscape buffer: https://www.news-gazette.com/toms-mailbag/toms-mailbag-june-19-2020/article_ddf7f640-1c32-5024-98b0-74d8f4ecaa7e.html
Curtis Road landscaping
"Curtis Road from Neil Street and First Street in Savoy, why are they planting several rows of tree and bushes?
The work underway in that location is for a landscaped buffer between the University of Illinois' Solar Farm 2.0 site and the village of Savoy, said Morgan White, associate director for sustainability at the University of Illinois.
"Since the start of the project, the university has incorporated the feedback of nearby residents and businesses in planning aspects to ensure that area is aesthetically pleasing and limits the future visibility of the array directly from Curtis Road," she said. "The buffer was designed by the University Landscape Architect at Facilities & Services, Brent Lewis, and it consists of native trees, shrubs and perennials specifically selected for their aesthetics and pollinator benefits.
"The trees were funded by the Student Sustainability Committee, and the remaining costs were provided by Facilities & Services and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.
"This extensive buffer planting, along with the 54 acres of native perennials and grasses under the solar panels, will help to establish a diverse pollinator habitat and strengthen ecosystems for local and migratory birds and insects, including butterflies and bees. This effort supports the university's commitment as a 'Bee Campus USA,' proving progress in awareness, native plant landscapes, and safe pest management.
"When completed, the site will also serve as a demonstration for pollinator-friendly solar arrays, following the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act, of which the university has taken the lead in creating."
Is your office "Green"?
Associated Project(s):Is Your Office 'Green'? iSEE Can Help You Save Resources, Energy!
With the campus gearing up for the fall semester, now is the time to think about "greening" your office!
Small steps by everyone help the University of Illinois reduce its overall carbon footprint, and the newly updated iSEE Certified Green Office Program gives employees a way to pitch in. Offices and units choose a sustainability ambassador and take simple steps to cut emissions and waste. By using recycled supplies, turning off lights and other measures, units can earn a gold, silver, or bronze certificate!
Check out the program (link above) or email iseegreenoffice@gmail.com.
Student Sustainability Farm open!
Associated Project(s):Due to COVID-19 pandemic, we will be holding an online Farm Stand. We will be still implementing all guidelines and rules, so the pickup will be no contact. Below are the instructions and the link.
The store will be open for orders on Tuesdays only, it will open at 7am until all items sell out or until 7am on Wednesday morning. We will then export all orders and begin to fill them. If you place an order past 7am on Wednesday we will not see it and that order will not be filled. We will have a drive thru pick-up at the SSF on Thursdays, our usual market day, from 12-5. The pick-up location will be at the gate on Lincoln Ave. just south of Windsor Road. Below is a map of where pickup is going to be located. When you arrive you will give your name to one of our employees, they will retrieve your prepackaged order and will put it in your trunk or backseat through an open window. All orders must be prepaid on the website at the time of ordering. We thank you for your support and patience as we figure out our new market system.
Copy and paste this url to get to the online ordering site!
thefarmstand.illinois.edu
Here is a secondary link if the first one doesn’t work:
my.aces.illinois.edu/buy
Spring 2020 Project Deliverables
Associated Project(s):Final Project Deliverables for Spring 2020
There were 7 projects completed by the WIE-GFX Abroad Scholars in the Spring 2020 semester of ENG 177
- Armory Bike Path Restoration
- Study Abroad Carbon Offset
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
- AASHE STARS Report 2020
- Food Waste
- Sustainability Best Practices Guide
- EPA SmartWay Program
2020 BeeBlitz
Associated Project(s):Sixth annual BeeBlitz
Join us (virtually) on Saturday, June 27, 2020 for the sixth annual BeeBlitz!
Nature lovers and concerned citizens in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio are invited to get outside and snap pictures of honey & bumble bees for BeeBlitz. Then, upload your findings to BeeSpotter, the citizen science project run in collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Entomology and the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education.
This event is a perfect candidate for social distancing, as you can go out on your own or in small groups; there's no need to gather in large crowds to go bee spotting!
What is BeeBlitz?
The name BeeBlitz is derived from a BioBlitz, an activity in which all of the biodiversity in a specific area is examined, to provide a snapshot in time of the flora and fauna present. During the BeeBlitz, we seek to know what species of honey & bumble bees are seen, and where they are, on this specific day.
We encourage veteran and aspiring bee spotters alike to venture out on a nature walk and participate in the blitz.
What can YOU do?
All you have to do is go outside on June 27, take a few bee photos, and upload them to BeeSpotter. You don't need to upload them immediately; just be sure to select the correct date when uploading. They will automatically be counted as part of the BeeBlitz collection!
Learn how to get started with BeeSpotter!
We also encourage parks, schools, museums, and zoos to publicize the virtual BeeBlitz in their local communities. Helpful resources for publicity include the BeeBlitz flier and the list of Suggested BeeBlitz Gear.
You can help us spread the word about the BeeBlitz by distributing these BeeBlitz announcement fliers to anyone you think might be interested!
Download the general BeeBlitz announcement flier (for Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio)
SSC Final Report: Bike Path Renovation: Armory Avenue Path South of Gregory Hall
Associated Project(s):The construction on the path began in summer 2020 and was completed by the time students returned to campus. The old bike paths, along with hedges, overgrown evergreens, and decorative urns were removed from the area. A new 6 foot wide path was constructed and plans have been made to restore the landscape as needed. The Armory Avenue bike path is now open to use!
This project tied in with the renovation of the entire Armory Ave bike path that connects the bike lane on Armory Ave to the bike lane on Goodwin Ave. This bike path goes through the Gregory Hall, Foellinger Auditorium, Smith Hall, IGB, and Bevier Hall.
Please see attached the final report for this project.
See the previous update for this project.
DRAFT iCAP 2020 for PUBLIC COMMENTS
Associated Project(s):Good afternoon,
My name is Meredith Moore and I am the Sustainability Programs Coordinator at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) on campus. We are very excited to share the first draft of the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) 2020! The iCAP is our University’s comprehensive strategic plan for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This attached document consists of eight key themes (Energy, Transportation, Land & Water, Zero Waste, Education, Engagement, Resilience, and Implementation/Funding), each of which contain actionable objectives to guide our sustainability plans for the next five years and beyond. It includes content and graphs without the design and images which will be incorporated later this summer. We would appreciate your feedback on the iCAP content at this form and invite you to share this information and link with any students, faculty, staff, or community members. We are interested to hear what you like about this document, suggestions for improvement, and any additional comments you would like to share with us.
Your review and feedback of the iCAP is a critical step in the drafting process! We have hosted in-person and virtual public forums to achieve this, and we are now accepting feedback on the draft itself. You can also find the PDF iCAP draft, as well as our feedback form, on our website here, or by using go.illinois.edu/iCAP2020. Please submit all feedback by Friday, June 26. You do not need to read the entire document to provide feedback; if you have a particular interest area, feel free to comment specifically on that topic. Thank you for your time and effort, and we look forward to reviewing your feedback! Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Meredith
--
Meredith Moore
Sustainability Programs CoordinatorInstitute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, Suite 338 (NSRC)
217.333.0119 | mkm0078@illinois.edu
Please consider the environment before printing out an email.
Attached Files:Sustainability Council meeting June 15, 2020
Associated Project(s):This presentation includes a review of the draft iCAP 2020 objectives.
Attached Files:Design drawings being reviewed
Associated Project(s):The construction drawings for civil and electrical design for the solar farm 2.0 project are being reviewed by F&S, both design review and utilities and energy services, and should be completed in the next two weeks.
May 2020 Buyer's Share Report
Associated Project(s):RailSplitter Wind Farm provided the May 2020 Buyer's Share amounts by hour, totaling 1892.7 Megawatt hours. See attached file.
Attached Files:The Day After Tomorrow: Discussing Science-Informed Policy
Associated Project(s):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, Anya and Theo interview Andrew Rehn, a Prarie Rivers water resources engineer.
https://youthclimateforum.wixsite.com/summit/podcast/episode/1c9959e9/th...
First bicycle registration on the new system!
Associated Project(s):Shelby Keye became the first person to register their bicycle on University's new national bike registration system through Project 529!
Inventory of Low-Flow Fixtures in Campus Buildings
Associated Project(s):An updated inventory of low-flow fixtures in campus buildings was provided in June 2020. In this spreadsheet, the fixtures are organized with respect to the building, room number, use description, and more.
This document will be continuously updated by David Boehm and his team, as there are approximately 424 additional items to investigate at this time.
Please see the attached file to review the inventory/
Restrooms v3 from Dave Boehm, June 2, 2020
Associated Project(s):Attached Files:Funding Approval for iCAP Portal Maintenance and Improvements
Associated Project(s):Evan De Lucia and Mohamed Attalla approved $50,000 of funding from the Carbon Credit Sales Fund for iCAP Portal maintenance and improvements for FY20 to FY23.
"This will allow us to continue improvements to the iCAP Portal and continue to enhance the usability
and impact of this well-used resource." -Morgan White (06/01/2020)The email of funding approval is attached below.
The Memorandum of Understanding between iSEE, F&S, and MSTE is attached below.
Bicycle Registration page updated
Associated Project(s):The bicycle registration page on the Bike at Illinois (bike.illinois.edu) to reflect the new changes. The new system will be available to the public from July 20, 2020. This page now contains information about the importance of registration, new bicycle registration system, how to register, and the 529 Shield (registration tag) pick up locations. Due to the pandemic, all the Shield pick-up locations were closed.
Learn more and how to Register Your Bicycle here.
Learn about the Benefits of registering your bicycle here.