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Project Updates

  3. Project Update - Meadow at Orchard Downs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Meadow at Orchard Downs

     

    This project is in progress, with the primary challenge being the insufficient number of participants to maintain the meadow. One proposed solution under consideration is to engage students through fieldwork.

    There is a prospect for collaboration between the iCAP Education and iCAP Land and Water teams to develop a course that would involve students in the maintenance of the meadow.

  4. Project Update - Sustainability Unit in Engineering 100

    Associated Project(s): 
    100-Level Courses

    The proposed project will not proceed as initially planned due to the challenges associated with implementing a 100-level course. However, it is being reconsidered and might take on a different form, possibly by mandating new students to obtain a sustainability certificate. The iCAP Education team is actively exploring various alternative options.

    Developing and sending out the sustainability literacy assessment will play a role in shaping this project.

  5. Project Update - Sustainability in Study Abroad

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability in Study Abroad

    The recommendation for Sustainability in Study Abroad has been approved! 

    The stakeholders identified for this project include the Illinois Abroad Council Steering Committee, Environmental Sustainability Study Abroad Working Group, and representatives from study abroad programs in each college.

    The forthcoming steps involve a collaborative effort to establish policies and procedures with these stakeholders.

  6. Project Update - Green Career Fair

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability at Career Fairs

    The Green Career Fair is in the process of development, with a scheduled date of February 27th 2024, at the Illini Union Ballroom. 

    The iCAP Education team has prioritized this project for the fall semester of 2023. We are currently in the process of finalizing the event's name and determining the list of invited companies. 

  8. LW005 SFC Permeable Pavers - Declined

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Land and Water Recommendations Summary

    The following response was received from John Marquardt on October 16, 2023:

     

    Good Afternoon,

     

    Thank you for the recommendation to install permeable surfaces in the State Farm Center parking lots.  I am pleased to report that State Farm Center has recently resurfaced two of its lots with permeable pavements, the SE Lot following the renovation of State Farm Center in 2016, and most recently the NE lot in 2021.

     

    Project specifications from the most recent lot renovation list the following description and statistics about how this project (and the SE project in 2016) addressed permeability concerns of the lots:

     

    “A total of approximately 12,500 square feet of permeable pavement was installed in the NE lot.  As detailed on the plans, the pavement section will include a consistent 5” of porous asphalt on top of variable thickness permeable aggregate (varying from 8” to 24”). A single 12” underdrain will run the entire length of permeable pavement patch, and a controlled 6” outlet pipe will be connected to the existing and adjacent 36” storm sewer via a new manhole. While soil types in this area will only allow for very minimal infiltration, the drainage rock will provide enough inherent storage to detain the 1-year, 1-hour storm event. The available storage is approximately 7,000 CU FT and the storm runoff volume for this event is 6,775 CU FT. “

     

    State Farm Center will be resurfacing the NW and SW parking lots in 2025 as part of planned and budgeted R&R operations. We fully anticipate that these projects will be completed with similar specifications to ensure that they are environmentally conscious with regard to permeability and other factors.

     

    Thank you for your time and concern.

     

    Read the iWG transmittal for LW005 SFC Permeable Pavers.

     

     

     

  11. Priority Area for Transportation iCAP Team 2023-24

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Commuter Program: Bus, Bike, and Hike

    The 2023-24 charge letter identified the Commuter Program as a priority area for the Transportation iCAP team.

    The pilot commuter program ran in Spring 2023 and celebrated those already choosing active modes of transportation but struggled to incentivize people to relinquish their parking passes. The Transportation Team will begin to brainstorm ways to incentivize and encourage people to relinquish their parking passes. The team also wants to establish an emergency ride-home program. This program would be made available to those who do not have a parking pass and need to return home in case of an emergency. 

  12. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 10/6/2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Electric Vehicle (EV) Task Force

    The Transportation iCAP Team met on 10/6/2023 to discuss the 2023-24 charge letter and priories for the year. The team will focus on the EV Task Force Report, the 2024 Campus Bike Plan, the commuter program, and Transportation015- sustainable fleet replacement plan recommendation. 

    Attached Files: 

  13. Illini Lights Out 9/29

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out

    At Friday's Illini Lights Out event, 6,059 light bulbs were shut off that otherwise would have been left on all weekend, saving $921.85 in energy costs. This also prevented 7.434 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 833 gallons of gasoline being consumed. That's a huge impact!

    The next Illini Lights Out event is on Friday, October 13th, and you can sign up using this link. Stay up to date with other sustainability-related events and news by signing up for the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) newsletter here!

    Illini Lights Out addresses objectives 2.2 and 2.2.2 of the iCAP, or Illinois Climate Action Plan, to increase energy efficiency and reduce building-level energy. Find out about other iCAP objectives here and read the entire iCAP here.

    Illini Lights Out is a certified Green Event! Click this link to learn how to green-certify your own event.

  14. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting 10/9/2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on October 9, 2024, to discuss AY 2023-24 action items, iCAP objectives, and charge priorities. The team will be focusing on conducting green tailgating events alongside university athletics, increasing waste reduction and diversion within residence halls, and addressing updates to current facility hydration station standards. 

    Attached Files: 

  15. Real time Energy Displays

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project

    Hello Morgan & Jennifer.

    Matt Rundquist (CCed) and I are looking at developing real-time energy dashboards for campus transparency at the request of the VCAS.

    Can you share if/how that project is going at UIUC?  I googled around a bit but most of the content seems a bit outdated…

    Energy Dashboard Project (Ongoing) | iCAP Portal | University of Illinois

     

    Any thing you can share is helpful and happy to jump on a call if that’s faster.

     

    Thanks for your help.

     

    Andy Mitchell

    --------------------------

    Rob,

     

    Colleagues at UIC are interested in UIUC’s Energy Dashboard Project. However, the information on the dashboard stops at FY14 and the links to the building-level information are broken. I see a lot of value in this project for campus. Is there any way to reinvigorate the project and update the content?

     

    Let me know if there is something iSEE can do to help.

     

    Thank you,

    Jennifer

    ---------------------------

    Hello Jennifer,

     

    Thanks for reaching out to UES on this topic. I am glad to hear that people have an interest in the UIUC energy dashboards. Our team has done a great job on this initiative, and we are leading the efforts amongst our peers. In fact, UIUC and vendor staff  will be presenting this topic at the International District Energy Association Campus Energy Conference this February. We am quite proud of the success we have achieved in this area.

     

    In reference to the UIC system, I actually had worked on developing energy dashboards at UIC when I was the Director of UES there. We had some success, but the product was a bit difficult to maintain. I believe that support for those UIC dashboards has ended.

     

    After receiving your email, I reached out to the Engineering/Consultant firm that I worked with to develop dashboards for both UIC and UIUC. Aaron Mason from Hawkeye Energy Solutions (Shorewood, IL) informed me that the platform that they are using at UIUC is a “much better, lightweight, and responsive” then the solution that was originally used at UIC. The underlying data streams at both campuses are similar, so the development of dashboards for UIC should be relatively easy.

     

    Regarding the link that was provided for the UIUC dashboards; that link is actually an old link that is no longer supported. Please use this link to view the new dashboards at UIUC: http://uesdash.fs.illinois.edu/ . This system does not require a login, and is easy to navigate. We currently have 70 of the first 80 building dashboards completed, which represents 92% of the University energy consumption. Many of the dashboards are visible at building video displays for all building occupants to view. We continue to vet the data streams and will add more dashboards as we continue our efforts into the future.

     

    To help you and Andy resolve any questions, I am including the following people on the cc so that you can reach out to them directly if it helps you in your efforts.

    • Cedric Everett – Assistant Director of Utilities and Energy Services at UIC (Can help you navigate the energy data at UIC, as well as contracting with Hawkeye Energy Solutions).
    • Aaron Mason – Director of Operations, Hawkeye Energy Solutions (Can assist with the technical background of a dashboard solution).
    • Robbie Bauer – Management Engineer Utilities Distribution UIUC (Is the lead engineer at UIUC for development and implementation of energy dashboards).

     

    Hopefully this answers your questions. If not, please don’t hesitate to contact me for more information. We welcome the opportunity to work together.

     

    Thanks,
    Rob

    --------------------------------

    Hi Rob,

     

    Thanks so much for this information and for reaching out to your colleague at Hawkeye Energy Solutions. I’m pleased to see that this project is going strong!

     

    If it’s ok with you, I would like to update the iCAP portal with this information, especially the URL for the new dashboards.

     

    Andy, if there is anything else we can help with, please let use know.

     

    Jennifer

  19. Land & Water iCAP Team October 2023 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Meadow at Orchard Downs
    Plantings at Dorner Drive Retention Pond
    Green Roof on Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics Building (formerly called Foreign Language Building)
    Cover Crops on South Farms
    Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM)
    Land and Water iCAP Team

    The Land & Water iCAP team met on Teams from 1-2 PM on Friday, October 6th. The team reviewed the iCAP Land & Water objectives, discussed area/projects of focus for the year, and brainstormed next steps in relation to projects that are underway. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

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