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. This grant will provide funds for the development of new courses and enhancement of existing courses, provisioning of course materials and software, and the sponsorship of guest lecturers and consultants ($25,000), the employment of graduate students in coordinating roles for education and volunteer engagement activities ($15,000), and student travel associated with the competition ($10,000). The last UI entry in the Solar Decathlon competition engaged hundreds of students and was the highest-placed US finisher in the Competition; furthermore this participation will require the team to raise $700,000 at a time of severe campus budget constraints. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding this proposal in the amount of $50,000.

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

The goal of this project is to conduct a feasibility study regarding installing an open geothermal loop underneath the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.  The open geothermal loop would take water from one of the many nearby aquifers and only introduce heat into the system.   The project will increase awareness of geothermal systems, determine the physical and chemical attributes of the aquifer, and study integrating the geothermal system with the current HVAC system.  The ISTC hopes to decrease their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 25%-50%. The ISTC would test the procedure on this building, but hopes to extend it to other campus buildings.  Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $27,000.

The goal of this project is to install lighting sensors in classrooms in several University instructional buildings (e.g. the Armory, the Foreign Language Building and Loomis). The sensors will switch off the lights in these areas, after 30 minutes of inactivity, which will reduce lighting consumption by ~30%. Additionally, having these retrofits take place at the same time as additional lighting upgrades will reduce overall installation costs. Given the reduction in lighting and electricity usage, the high visibility to students of the target areas and student interest in this technology, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding the full requested amount of $50,000.

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. Thus, the Student Sustainability Committee is in favor of funding them to the amount of $6,000 ($4,000 for the water project, and $2,000 for the retro-commissioning project – with the expectation that Computer Science will underwrite the remainder).

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.