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Project Updates

  1. Sol Systems Blog about SEE Fellows student project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Sustainability Minor
    Independent Student Projects

    Sol Systems published a blog today sharing information about the collaborations with the UIUC Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Fellows program, the campus-wide minor in sustainability.  

    "This past week, two groups of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presented to Sol Systems regarding their findings through the university’s sustainability minor capstone course. The students conducted an emissions audit for supply chain and land-usage for the university’s second utility-scale solar project, Solar Farm 2.0, a 54-acre, 12.3 MW dc system on the Urbana campus that is being developed by Sol Systems. The presentation and partnership served as part of Sol’s sustainability initiatives and acts as the foundation for building Sol’s framework for future and current solar project developments...."

    Read the full post online at https://www.solsystems.com/groundwork-for-solar-sustainability/. 

  2. EAB to provide assessment of UIUC Sustainability Plan

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    Facilities & Services is working with EAB, formerly the Education Advisory Board and headquartered in Washington, D.C., to participate in EAB's new sustainability plan review service.

    Their team of experts will audit the sustainability plan in the following areas:
    -    Global trends in sustainability plans
    -    Comparison to peer plans
    -    Key implementation mechanisms
    -    Institution-specific opportunities
    The report will also link to sample peer plans and supporting research from EAB. 
     

     

     

  3. Energy Models for SDC, MEB, Freer, ISRH

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Models for Campus Facilities

    The Energy Models for the following building projects are attached:

    • U16015 - Siebel Design Center [1517]
    • U12262 – MEB [0112]
    • U15043 – Freer [0064]
    • U12054 - ISRH Dining [0275]
    Attached Files: 

  4. Weekly Update: WCIA interview, Kids bike giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last Monday WCIA came by the Bike Center and interviewed me for our Kids Bike Giveaway event. Made the evening news! We got one call from a woman in Tuscola, a man from Danville, and a woman emailed from Springfield, all referenced the news story.
    Accordingly, we’re in full-on kids bike mode: student staff are fixing them, I’m fielding phone calls and emails, people are dropping them off nearly every day we’re open and sometimes even when we’re not.
    I think we’re at around 20 bikes and we should probably get to 30 by week’s end between both shops.
    This week we’ll continue prepping for the Bike Giveaway event, mostly logistical items like signage, set up, and keep fixing them.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11

    Sales: $215
    Bike (refurb): 1 for $160
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $39

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  6. Engagement SWATeam Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team

    On December 10, the Engagement SWATeam met to discuss progress within each of its subteams:

    1. Sustainability education and training requirements for new students and faculty

    2. Creating a roadmap of sustainability infrastructure at UIUC and researching initiatives of other universities which have been successful in sustainability engagement

    3. Creating and implementing a GivePulse channel for iSEE under the UIUC account

    4. Promoting the Green Events program at the Illini Union

    Meeting minutes are attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  7. Daily Illini article about impacts of covid-19 on iCAP

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Sustainability Council
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Encourage Telecommuting
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Improve Space Utilization
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA
    Geothermal on Campus
    Carbon Capture

    The Daily Illini published an article about the impacts of covid-19 on the campus sustainability efforts. One key message is that, even with some delays associated with the pandemic, we are still determined to move forward.  The conclusion of the article says: 

    Mohamed Attalla, executive director of Facilities and Services, said there are lots of initiatives to reach carbon neutrality in terms of energy and hopes to reach 400,000 metric tons of CO2 this year.

    Attalla said the addition of a third solar farm, advances in geothermal energy and research in carbon capture contribute to achieving carbon neutrality and that long-term, COVID-19 should not be a problem.

    “Maybe we’re behind a little in implementing some projects, but we’ll be able to catch up,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a long-term impact on the iCAP implementation.”

    White also said she doesn’t anticipate any long-term problems with achieving the iCAP goals and believes it’s important for the University to lead by example when it comes to sustainability.

    “I really believe that accomplishing the iCAP goals is something we can do, we need to do and we will do,” she said. 

    “Climate change isn’t waiting for us,” Edwards said. “(The University is) the laboratory for science, for humanities, for arts …  all those kinds of things show what is possible of humanity.”

    “If we’re going to call ourselves leaders, then we need to lead,” he said.

    https://dailyillini.com/covid-10/2020/12/08/covid-19-pandemic-impacts-un...

     

  10. Weekly Update: Kids Bike Giveaway, WCIA interview

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last week was our first one with “regular” open hours again. I’d guess we had about the same number of people coming by as we did under our reservation system but it was certainly less leg work.
    Our main push for the next few weeks will be our Kids Bike Giveaway. The particulars:


    Date: Saturday, December 19th
    Time: 1 – 3p or until we run out of bikes
    Location: Urbana Bike Project (202 S Broadway Ave., Urbana)
    Details: first come, first served; one bike per kid and they must be present to pick out their bike.

     

    We are still in need of donations but just through emailing our membership we’ve heard from 3 – 4 people with bikes to donate.  WCIA is calling me later today to discuss, so hopefully we’ll get on the news. I’ve done lots of submitting to various media outlets. I’ll be focusing on getting the word out on the need for donations this week and focus on doing the bulk of the refurbishing next week. If successful TBP has expressed interest in making this an annual event. We’ll see!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 6
    Sales: $165.50

    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $12

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  11. Measuring geothermal energy

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus

             Geothermal heat exchanger systems consist of two main components: (1) heat pumps, and (2) ground loop. The heat pump capacity is associated with the capability of a GHP system to extract heat from the ground. The size of geothermal heat pumps is measured in tons where 1 ton = 12,000 btu/h, and determined according to the profile of the heating and/or cooling demand of the facility. Meanwhile, the loop field and its size in terms of length and depth are based on the size of equipment, soil type, and average temperature, and climate conditions.  

    Furthermore, other metrics measure the system performance and its efficiency. Coefficient of Performance (COP) is the ratio of useable thermal energy to the thermal equivalent of the electricity used to operate the system. Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) represents the ratio between the cooling output (in Btu/h) and the energy (electricity) input (in Watt). Also, The SEER is a measure of central air conditioning efficiency over an entire season. Higher COP, EER, or SEER means higher heat pump efficiency.

             The ground source heat exchanger system can be implemented in conjunction with an existing heating system that depends on another type of energy such as liquid propane. To accurately calculate the reduction in energy usage after the installation of a ground source heat exchanger, the system has to be modeled as a hybrid system. Detailed information (system type, fuel, capacity, power consumption, time of usage) of this hybrid system is needed to assess the adequacy of a GHP system's performance in addressing the building’s heating and cooling needs. Assuming that the ground heat exchanger design data and the existing system are known, then the actual performance metrics of the system may be simulated using commercially available software such as eQuest or GLHEPro.

              Once the system is installed, a data collection system can measure, track, and report the actual performance of the ground heat exchanger system. First, determining the electricity consumption of a GHP system requires sub-metering of the GHP system. Second, is heat exchange performance data. This includes the measured entering/exiting water temperatures and circulation rates for the heat pump over time.  Modern GSHP units already incorporate sensors to monitor energy usage and the entering and exiting fluid temperatures.

  12. The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the U of I Campus Bike Center, is hosting a Kids’ Bike Giveaway this holiday season!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Encourage Bicycle Use

    The Bike Project is currently accepting donations of all kids’ and teen bikes, regardless of condition, and then refurbishing them to give back to young folks in the community!

     

    Donations can be made at the Urbana Bike Project (202 S. Broadway Ave., Urbana) or at the Campus Bike Center (51 E. Gregory Dr., Champaign).

     

    Please call (217) 469-5126 or email contact@thebikeproject.org to arrange a donation.

     

    Kids' Bike Giveaway Event:

    Date: Saturday, December 19th, 2020
    Time: 1 pm – 3pm or until we run out of bikes
    Location: Urbana Bike Project (202 S. Broadway Ave., Urbana)

    Details: first come, first served; one bike per kid, and they must be present to pick out their bike.

     

    All health and safety guidelines will be followed.

  14. F&S staff met with WEF Design Team leaders

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Environment Federation (WEF)
    Green Infrastructure

    Xinyu Teng and Ryan Moeller met with F&S sustainable water experts to discuss potential projects for the WEF design challenge this coming spring.  

     

     

    Colleen Ruhter, P.E. provided the following resources following the meeting. 

     

    Thanks everyone for chatting today.

    Here are some great resources for you to look at to get some ideas for stormwater retrofits.

     

    https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/streetscape_elements_san_francisco.pdf

    https://artfulrainwaterdesign.psu.edu/about

    https://cvc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Grey-to-Green-ROW-Road-Right-Of-Way.pdf

    https://www.flowstobay.org/documents/municipalities/sustainable%20streets/San%20Mateo%20Guidebook.pdf

     

    The MD. Dept of the Env. (MDE) has some really good resources for calculating pollution removal based off of their standard design criteria.  If you guys decide you want to look into pollutant removal rates, I can help with that (as much as I can remember from the 7+ years ago that I worked in MD, anyway).

     

    If you’re looking for more straightforward quantification (such as volume treated), that should be easier to calculate. 

     

    Please let me know how I can help any further. 

     

    Thanks,

    ~Colleen

     

    COLLEEN RUHTER, P.E.
    Coordinator, Special Programs

  17. e-week announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Green Event Program

    New Certified "Green" Events Program!

    iSEE has recently launched the newest addition to the Certified Greener Campus Programs: the Certified Green Event! All university entities are encouraged to host "green" events by addressing sustainability engagement and education, energy conservation, waste reduction, etc. Even if the event is held remotely, you can earn certification by committing to five or more actions based on our guide. 

    Map

    Meredith Moore • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

    baseline_wifi_black_18dp.png This opportunity is available online.

  18. eweek announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Educate Future Leaders

    Instructors Get Course Development Funding to Incorporate Sustainability

    The 2021 Levenick Teaching Sustainability Fellowship offers funding for U of I instructors to integrate sustainability components into an existing course ($1,000) or develop a new course with a sustainability focus ($2,000). To maximize student reach, iSEE especially encourages applications from instructors of 100- and 200-level courses. Read more and apply at go.illinois.edu/LevTeachingFellows

    Tony Mancuso • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

  20. Levenick Fellows Behavior Change project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Changing Usage of Individuals
    Energy Conservation Efforts

    In Fall 2017, University of Illinois Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) Erica Myers and ACE Ph.D. Candidate Mateus Souza conducted a study to gauge whether detailed energy reports would influence student energy-saving behaviors. The project received funding through the Levenick iSEE Fellows Program, and ultimately determined that although similar experiments had proven effective in standard residential settings, the impact was negligible in residence halls where students do not directly pay for energy. On the other hand, simple nudges sent prior to winter break were effective in promoting the reduction of thermostat setpoints and energy consumption. Results from the study were later published at the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

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