After piloting two successful workshops in Spring 2021, iSEE is launching its new Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) this fall. Designed to prepare Illinois undergraduates for leadership roles in the sustainability field, the ELP focuses on developing students’ communications skills around environmental problems, mobilizing social resources, and implementing plans for sustainable change.

In the Spring 2022 program, participants will learn about the policy-building process at the local and state levels, develop real-world environmental policies linked to the current legislative session, engage with local and state government officials, and present policy proposals to legislative staff and decision-makers in Springfield and Urbana-Champaign.

Applications opened Oct. 4 and closed Oct. 31. Participation is free, including travel expenses for the trip to Springfield during spring break — thanks to a generous gift from the Baum Family Fund. iSEE has encouraged interested students from all backgrounds, class standings, and majors to apply.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Led by Sustainability Programs Manager Meredith Moore, iSEE has been drawing dozens of campus and community members to participate in monthly ‘TED Talk: Eco-Editions.’

One evening a month on Zoom, these iSEE Certified Green Events take on a different sustainability issue — from discussions of climate justice to waste reduction to plenty more.

A pre-recorded TED Talk is shown, then a student, staff, or faculty member leads participants through a discussion and roundtable as our community explores how a topic can apply to campus, work, or everyday life.

Find the next one on the Sustainability Calendar. And, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

In October, iSEE was proud to present a set of new Sustainability Training Videos designed to help students, faculty, and staff incorporate sustainability into their everyday lives and support Illinois Climate Action Plan goals in all their actions.

Interim Director Madhu Khanna sent out a campus massmail on Oct. 20 — Campus Sustainability Day— asking all members of the campus community to join us in becoming more sustainable and maintaining the University of Illinois reputation as a worldwide leader in commitments to carbon neutrality and climate resilience.

The videos highlight the extensive progress campus has made as well as specific steps each individual can take to be more sustainable, from recycling to biking to water conservation.

The Institute tailored videos to individuals’ role on campus as students, faculty/researchers, or staff/administration/community members. All are asked to take a brief survey to let iSEE know what campus is doing right and what should be prioritized. Additional helpful links are included below each video as well. As our narrator says, “Let’s show the world what it means to be sustainable Illini!”

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form. And, view the videos on the iSEE webpage!

After more than a yearlong hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, Illini Lights Out (ILO) is back and better than ever.

The popular monthly event, which started in 2016, has averted the equivalent of more than 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved campus more than $28,000.

iSEE Intern Jenna Schaefer scheduled four events for the Fall 2021 semester, and thus far the results speak for themselves.

At the official ILO relaunch in September, 86 Illinois students turned off 2,636 light bulbs in a dozen campus buildings for the weekend, saving 4,547.1 kilowatt hours of energy, 3.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and $382.41 in energy bills.

And on Oct. 22, more than 185 students turned off 3,266 bulbs in 23 campus buildings, saving more than 5,600 kWh, 4 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and nearly $475 for the weekend.

iSEE has ILOs planned for Nov. 12 and Dec. 3 — and Spring 2022 dates are in the works.

View a feature story and short video on ILO. Or, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

iSEE planned a series of events throughout October to celebrate Campus Sustainability Month.

The main attraction was Campus Sustainability Celebration on Oct. 20, at which iSEE’s new Sustainability Training Video debuted (see more details, page 6). More than 50 people attended the event at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and more watched the livestream.

The campus community was also invited to take part in iSEE’s monthlong Waste Reduction Challenge by cutting the amount of waste sent to the landfill. Participants received a weekly grid with a point system to help track waste and any positive actions to reduce it. More details on the Challenge webpage.

Additionally, iSEE took part in Green Quad Day and hosted Illini Lights Out (see more details, page 6) and “TED Talk: Eco-Edition” (see box at left). And student groups hosted dozens of other events. More info on iSEE’s annual events webpage.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Because of the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, iSEE transformed iSEE Congress Fall 2021, “Circular Food Systems,” into an online format. Congress became a series of one-hour Zoom webinars in October and November.

The eighth iSEE Congress returns to the topic of feeding the world: providing a safe, secure supply of food and fuel to an ever-increasing human population using agricultural practices that are ecologically sustainable and adaptable to climate change. Speakers were invited to offer cutting-edge thinking about advancing the sustainability of our agricultural and food systems. The sessions:

• Oct. 19: “21st Century Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture,” featuring Ken Cassman, the Robert B. Daugherty Emeritus Professor of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska; and Girish Chowdhary, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Computer Science at Illinois.
• Oct. 27: “Transforming Food Systems for a Circular Economy,” co-sponsored and co-hosted by the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE) and endorsed by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Speakers included Bruno Basso, MSU Foundation Professor of Crop Modeling and Land Use Sustainability, Michigan State University; James Jones, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Systems Modeling, University of Florida; Charles Rice, Distinguished Professor of Soil Microbiology, Kansas State University; and David Zilberman, Robinson Chair and Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California at Berkeley.
• Nov. 3: “How Can We Reduce Waste from Agricultural and Food Systems?” featuring Brian Roe, Van Buren Professor of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University; and Tom Theis, Professor of Civil, Materials & Environmental Engineering and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago.
• Nov. 9: “Turning Agricultural Waste into Usable Products,” featuring Thomas Trabold, Research Professor at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Yuanhui Zhang, Founder Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Illinois.

More details on the Congress webpage. And, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Over the summer and fall, iSEE has certified...

• Two new green offices:
  • The Oak Street Library Facility Conservation Unit
  • iSEE
• One new green chapter:
  • Zeta Psi
• 17 green events:
  • ​​​​​​​Including Illini Lights Out.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Attached is the link to the UIUC's participation and the Illinois e-News Release. 

https://pathways.mste.illinois.edu/curriculum/energy

Illinois e-News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2021                                Contact: Kim Biggs
                                                              217-558-1536
                                                              Kim.Biggs@illinois.gov

Illinois EPA and University of Illinois at Introduce Online Curriculum Focusing on Energy

Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest to Follow Unit

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE) have again partnered to create a new online science curriculum unit for fifth and sixth grade educators: How does a bulb light? The unit helps students explore energy, electricity use, and power sources and how they relate to climate change. The Illinois EPA’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest theme “Get Energized About Slowing Down Climate Change!” will follow the new curriculum.

Educators, parents, and caregivers are asked to introduce these topics using the newly developed free, online curriculum. The unit is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Following the unit, students are asked to create posters or written works for the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest related to the theme’s focus. Entries must be submitted to the Illinois EPA by February 1, 2022. Additional information on the Contest can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/contest/Pages/default.aspx.

“Educators and students have faced numerous challenges as they have adapted to hybrid, remote, and in-classroom learning. It is our hope these virtual opportunities allow students to continue to grow their knowledge of the environment and the importance of protecting it,” said Illinois EPA Director John Kim. “This year’s unit is especially relevant to current events related to climate change, and we are excited to see it translated to pieces of art and written work for the upcoming Contest.”

How does a bulb light? will help students investigate the everyday phenomenon of an electric light turning on. Students will observe two strings of LED lights turn on, one being powered by battery and the other by plugging into a wall outlet. Students will record their observations and “wonderings,” which will drive the flow of the unit as students plan and carry out their own investigations to answer their questions. This will include investigating electricity production and delivery, when and how to conserve, and recent and future changes in the energy system, including changes in transportation energy demands. The curriculum is available online to teachers and parents at https://pathways.mste.illinois.edu/curriculum/energy. 

Illinois EPA is proud to again partner with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education to expand the Environmental Pathways curriculum. Earlier units developed through this partnership include “Where does my food go?” and “Why is the pond green?,” which can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/Pages/pathways.aspx.

Information about all of Illinois EPA’s environmental education programs can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/Pages/default.aspx, or by contacting Kristi Morris, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Illinois EPA by email at Kristi.Morris@illinois.gov.

Attachments

• Illinois EPA and University of Illinois at Introduce Online Curriculum Focusing on Energy

The University of Illinois has two submittals that are recognized as finalists for the 2021 Sustainability Awards:

• University of Illinois University Administration & University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign – Climate Action Plan Sustainability Ambassador Course
• Urbana-Champaign – UIUC Solar Farm 2.0: Ultra-Sustainable on-campus solar array

More information can be found at https://www.aashe.org/news/meet-the-2021-sustainability-award-finalists/. 

Notes from Illini Union Green Team fall meeting include:

- Raneeta Mack, specialist in social media from Illini Union's marketing team, has joined the Illini Union Green Team. 

- Planning/outreach plan for Earth Week has been dropped into "Earth Week Planning" Teams file folder.

- Izabel Carmen will attend next Student Sustainability Committee Board meeting on 11/19/21, 1PM to speak to the Earth Week programming and coordination. 

Gloss met with the public works director and planning director for the City of Savoy to discuss Vision Zero and transportation planning on 11/9/2021.

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A#: This is the answer to that question.

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Dhruv and Ali provided the following answers to Sterling with SafeTraces:

Q1: Please provide PDFs of the full floor plan layout drawings for the entire building. Be sure to include 
square footage for each room and common areas. It is also very important to identify operable windows, if any? 

A1: Floor plans with room areas attached. 
Following files are attached for floor plans 
B0300-01-11X17 Astronomy Building-(1st floor plan)-2021 
B0300-02-11X17 Astronomy Building-(2nd Floor plan)-2021 
(current/anticipated occupancy assumptions would be helpful) 

 

Q2: What are the Astronomy Building's normal hours of operation?

A2: Monday to Friday (0800 hrs-1700 hrs.). Saturday and Sunday the building is locked. 

Q3: What is the air filtration rating for the spaces?

A3: MERV :: HEPA Filters at AHU, currently MERV-13. 

 

Q4: What is the Make/Model, age, specs and replacement/upgrade history of the existing HVAC system?

A4: Original AHU from 1990, Trane Model 41A, Serial K89H24684. Original AHU equipment schedule attached. AHU controls originally pneumatic, upgraded to DDC (Siemens) in 2016 to allow occupancy schedules to be implemented. Zone level (VAVs) are still pneumatic.  I believe the fume hoods are only energized when in use.  Heating in the building is hot water radiators and hot water VAV reheat (no heating coil at AHU) fed from hot water boilers. 30% glycol cooling coil in AHU, fed from air cooled chiller on site. 

Q5: What is the Make/Model and full specifications of the portable air purifiers expected to be used or are being used in the building? 

A5: I don’t believe any portable air purifiers are currently in use. 

 

Q6: Please identify all HVAC zones in the drawings. (Note: This is a command, not a question)

A6: See zone map drawings Paul sent previously. Please review the attached file 
CC-0300_09_V-700_RCX-Astronomy Building-Zones plan-AHU-EFU-2017 

 

Q7: How many air-changes per hour is the HVAC system currently providing?

A7: Will vary from room to room based on VAV damper position, ceiling height, etc. Based on a peak airflow of AHU (21,200 CFM), overall building area, and typical ceiling height (9’-0”), we’d have about 11.3 air changes per hour at peak load. 

 

Q8: What are the basic assumptions for outside air intake to aid in dilution/ventilation for all interior spaces? 

A8: AHU has a minimum OA position, and runs based on an occupancy schedule. We’ve temporarily changed our AHUs to run in occupied mode from 6AM to midnight for most of our units due to COVID-19 precautions. Unit is also sized for economizer when OA conditions allow. 

Q9: What are the weather assumptions for heating and cooling the interior spaces along with outdoor temperature and humidity estimates?

A9: I’m not positive what conditions the original designers used in 1990, but see page 2 of the “HVAC Systems” attachment from our facilities standards for our typical OA design conditions. 

Getting feedback about the Student Sustainability Summit, formulating what students want to see from the SSLC and how the SSLC can best support student groups. 

    01214-E4 is the meter in the Energy Billing System that tracks the solar production on the roof of the I Hotel and Conference Center.  To look it up, be sure to search for the Conference Center, rather than the iHotel.  It is building 1214.

The 01214-E4 meter sheet is attached below.

Proefssor Baser shared that the data loggers are getting ready to be installed.