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- Associated Project(s):Attached Files:
Clerkship Orientation with Clerks Chibu and Alexia
Associated Project(s):Team Clerk Chibu Asonye attended a Clerkship Orientation meeting with Olivia Webb, Sustainability Programs Coordinator at iSEE and Clerk Alexia Bedolla of the Purchasing, Waste, and Recycling SWATeam. During this meeting, Olivia walked through how to navigate, update, and over all populate the ICAP Portal for the SWATeams. Olivia also went over the charge list for the Clerks, detailing a few due dates and things to keep in mind over the school year.
Article about Billion Dollar Green Challenge
Associated Project(s):The Chicago Tribune included a mention of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as one of two schools in Illinois that have joined the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-north-centra...
Student solar efforts renewing for fall 2016
Associated Project(s):Niharika Kishore, masters in Urban Planning (MUP) student, and Corey Weil, sophomore in Electrical and Computer Engineering, are working with Morgan Johnston on the iSEE objective for on-campus solar. Niharika will continue her efforts for promoting rooftop solar to meet the iCAP objective for 12,500 MWh/year of on-campus solar energy generation as part of a MUP capstone project this year. Corey will volunteer in various efforts to support the development of solar solutions for campus, from the Net Zero Energy ECE efforts to advocating for solar energy funding.
News Gazette Mailbag question about Solar Farm
Associated Project(s):http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2016-08-26/toms-mailbag-aug-26-20...
UI solar farm
“The solar panel field located near the corner of Windsor Road and First Street has become overgrown with tall weeds. Do the panels still work with that much foliage under and above them? Also, would hiring sheep or goats to ‘mow’ the weeds be harmful to the sheep or goat (heat from the panels)?”
The Solar Farm on the University of Illinois campus was implemented as a power purchase and land lease agreement with Phoenix Solar South Farms, LLC, said Steve Breitwieser of the UI’s Facilities & Services Department.
“The agreements designate Phoenix as responsible for all maintenance of the Solar Farm during the 10-year contract, and this includes vegetation control.
“A contractor hired by Phoenix was on site in mid-June, and they are performing additional weed control activities this week.”
When the agreement with Phoenix ends, Breitwieser said, the UI will assume Solar Farm maintenance responsibilities.
And — how about this? — preliminary discussions have begun with research faculty regarding the use of sheep or low-height food crops in the future, he said.
Meanwhile, neighboring plant growth has not impacted solar production, said Breitwieser.
Solar array data can be viewedat: http://go.illinois.edu/solar.
FY 17 SSC funding for Zero Waste Coordination
Associated Project(s):The SSC funding for Zero Waste Coordination ($64,862) covers four different recycling efforts.
1) Campus-wide infrastructure, $29,750: Expanding the “Dual bins on the Quad” to north of Green and eastward to Goodwin Avenue, in collaboration with F&S Superintendent of Grounds Ryan Welch. Ryan’s Grounds workers are mapping the existing bins, as a first step. All of this funding is for the physical infrastructure (bins and lids, etc.).
2) Campus-wide education, $1,032: The key message of personal responsibility for waste management needs to be communicated through multiple channels on campus, in order to effect the culture shift that we deeply need on campus. F&S will create educational materials to explain the recycling options available to the campus community, to reduce confusion. The funding is based on 8 presentations throughout campus and development of educational materials (which will be used in future years as well). All materials will thank SSC for their funding support.
3) Building specific solutions, $30,520: Per the completed Waste Characterization Studies, there are various changes that can be implemented in the studied buildings to improve waste diversion. These changes need to be approved and implemented in coordination with building occupants, so there is a need for a staff coordinator to work with the individual units. The funding is based on two weeks of staff time per building, for eight buildings.
4) Special recyclables expansion $3,560: There are new programs available for interested units on campus to recycle nitrile gloves, styrofoam, alkaline batteries, and glass. Unfortunately, very few units are aware of these opportunities. We are requested funding for student employees to reach out directly to potential participants and help them incorporate the applicable programs.
Possibility for rooftop solar on Mechanical Engineering Building
Associated Project(s):After the August 5th presentation by Niharika Kishore to College of Engineering facilities contact Greg Larson, Greg spoke with Mechanical Engineering facilities contact Damon McFall about roofotp solar for the Mechanical Engineering Building (MEB). Morgan Johnston explained that MEB had been left off the list Niharika worked on because of the upcoming Capital Programs project in that facility. Greg indicated that they are interested in pursuing rooftop solar for MEB. Potentially the design could be included in the Capital Project design effort, and the installation would need to be funded separately. This roof could hold approximately 130 kW array.
Patching of Mathews Bike Path
Associated Project(s):From Pennsylvania Ave and Goodwin to the Ag Engineering Building, patches covered some of the largest potholes along the bike path.
Call out for Volunteers at Light the Night 2016
Associated Project(s):Volunteers are needed for Light the Night on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Volunteers can sign up for 1.5-hour or 3-hour shifts here:
http://thebikeproject.wikispaces.com/light-the-night-2016
Light the Night is an annual bike light give-away, sponsored by the CATS agencies.
Springfield campus has solar donation account set up
Associated Project(s):The University of Illinois Foundation (UIF) has an account set up for clean energy at the University of Illinois at Springfield:
"Sustainable Energy Initiative: Springfield
UIS, like many institutions, is looking to sustainable energy and environmentally friendly products to both reduce consumption and conserve valuable resources. Future plans include the addition of wind and solar power, as well as green-building upgrades. These features will not only be used for production, but also be used in classroom instruction and will open doors for faculty and student research, as well as opportunities for public awareness activities relating to alternative and sustainable energies."
SWATeam Clerk introductory information for fall 2016
Associated Project(s):The six SWATeam clerks have been given a to do list for this fall, with an iCAP Portal User Manual. A Clerk orientation is being scheduled by iSEE staff, so SWATeams can start meeting in September.
Attached Files:UIUC goals for Prospectus
Associated Project(s):The Big Ten and Friends Sustainability group is collaborating on a Prospectus about how sustainability helps the universities accomplish several of their missions. Each participating school was asked to note their high-level and visionary goal for the Prospectus and the Big Ten group as a whole. Sustainability staff at UIUC offered the following goals:
What are your goals for using the outcomes of the Big Ten Prospectus at your institution? “The University of Illinois Provost Office (budgetary authority) is interested in evaluating the appropriate funding model for our sustainability efforts, and we hope to use the outcomes from the Prospectus to help inform them about the importance and benefit of the overall sustainability efforts, and how it ties directly to the campus mission.”
What potential (think big!) do you see for our network as a whole? How can this work help us leverage regional impacts, move all of our institutions forward, etc.? “We have been making great strides in sustainability, but campus continues to elevate other mission priorities over sustainability when achieving these goals is considered cumbersome or unfeasible. We hope that through this Prospectus, the Big Ten and, subsequently, campuses across the nation will see that sustainability is a mission-critical goal, and will not proceed with any action until it can be made sustainable. Could we also partner on various efforts, from Carbon Credits to recycled paper purchases to RECs, etc. to save money and effort? We should also update the website at http://greenbigten.msu.edu/index.html and https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/Big10EnvStew/Big+Ten+Environmental+St....”
Zipcar brand ambassadors at Quad Day
Associated Project(s):The Zipcar Brand Ambassadors joined the Transportation Demand Management team at Quad Day this fall. They handed out all the promotional information they had with them in the first forty minutes of the four hour event, and then shared sustainable transportation materials along Green Street for the remainder of the afternoon.
Also, F&S is looking into digital sign materials to promote Zipcar.
bike rack map is being updated
Associated Project(s):The Illinois map has a category called bike racks. These were added based on a student survey done several years ago. The Active Transportation Coordinator is working with GIS Specialist James Whitacre, and student volunteers, to update the data and the campus map. This should be completed during FY17.
iSEE Rooftop Solar iCAP 2020 Presentation 2016
Associated Project(s):Niharika Kishore and Morgan White discussed renewable energy on campus and rooftop solar objectives.
Attached Files:Donate in support of the Campus Bike Plan
Associated Project(s):To donate in support of the Campus Bicycle Plan, go to give.illinois.edu and reference the 338548 Campus Bicycle Plan Implementation and Mission Fund.
potential resources for solar funding
Associated Project(s):The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is coordinating programs which could be helpful for funding on-campus solar installations:
Drone flyover video created for Office of Advancement
Associated Project(s):The Office of Advancement hired Elite Air Productions LLC to create a video flyover of the new Solar Farm. The video can be seen at https://youtu.be/k7b-F0zCgxs.
Project moving forward
Associated Project(s):The rooftop solar project for ECE is moving forward now, and installation is expected in summer 2017.
The SECS meetings occur regularly each semester
Associated Project(s):The Students for Environmental ConcernS (SECS) meet regularly each year. The announcement for the first 2016-2017 meeting is attached here.
Attached Files: