The Transportation iCAP Team met on 11/3/2023 to discuss the EV proposal report by Desman group. Team members shared their concerns and thoughts on the report. 

See the attached report.

Please see the include link to a newsletter from the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office

Hi Rob and Tony,

Tim Mies asked me who “owns” the RECs from small scale solar arrays at individual buildings.  I said I’d have to check into it.

At first I thought all RECs are owned by central campus (UES), but then I questioned myself.  For a rooftop solar array, we don’t include it in the M-RETS program, and at ECE, we only “sold” them the solar farm 2.0 RECs.  We let them count their rooftop solar directly and they have the DOR accordingly. 

So is it appropriate to tell him that the RECs associated with the 14.7 kW array he is planning to install at the Energy Farm (not the SCAPES project) will be considered “used” at the Energy Farm?

I would caution that we do not want individual departments to get into selling RECs, without a much broader discussion.  So perhaps we should say that he can use/retire them at his site, but he cannot sell them without further discussion?

What do you recommend?

Thanks,

Morgan

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Good questions. I think that if the department “owns” the REC, then they should also be able to sell the REC. I am interested in others views on the topic, and agree that it would lend to a much broader discussion.

Rob Roman

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I agree that a broader discussion would be helpful.

Best,

Tony

Hey Morgan,

The SSC has moved to fund this; I would like to get the go-ahead on it.

Improper waste segregation poses significant environmental and financial challenges. In colleges, even students often need to pay more attention to separate waste correctly, leading to damaged recyclables, increased landfill waste, and the labor-intensive task of sorting improperly discarded waste. This issue extends beyond universities, indicating a larger problem with waste management globally. The current approach of replacing traditional single-bin systems with costly three-bin recycling bins has improved diversion rates but falls short of expectations. Financial burdens arise from the need to hire workers for manual waste sorting. To address this problem, we developed a cost-effective solution that ensures minimal damage to recyclables by sorting waste at the point of disposal.

The project's use of AI, and revenue optimization contributes to more efficient waste management practices. This not only minimizes contamination and reduces landfill waste but also optimizes the recovery of recyclable materials. The data analysis dashboard provides users with valuable insights into disposal trends and waste composition. This empowers users to make informed decisions about waste management, promoting responsible practices. Additionally the lower cost of switching to SegBin.Ai than conventional 3 bin dustbins by over 50% significantly reduces spend on waste management infrastructure and it also has a major boost in waste diversion rates.


I don’t like the budgeted amount of $1,600.00 for CAD and Software, it is confusing, it appears the students are paying themselves. I would like clarification on this.
Codie

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Hi Codie,

Can you point me to the full file for this?  Are they just developing a software program, or building some sort of AI robot system for sorting mail?

Thanks,

Morgan

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Hey Morgan,

This is the link for the project application and Excel application, I cc’d Daphne Hulse in the email as she is the advisor and can help with clarification questions. I always appreciate your time,

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Hi Morgan,

The student group here is developing both a software system and physical prototype to place on top of existing recycling bins (the ones that are not the 3-stream bins). They are piloting sorting system at the recycling bin for the software to distinguish different types of objects and tell the user which stream to place it in (trash, paper, bottles/cans, etc.). They are planning to pilot this at PPSB and Garage & Carpool, with the understanding that it needs to be feasible for BSWs.

Thank you,
Daphne

Daphne,

Thought I would share that we are working to get more images up on the smart poles outside of the Illini Union bookstore. Katie is going to see if she can create a simple design for the 11/11 tailgate recycling event. Unfortunately the functionality and quality of the poles are less than to be desired, severely limiting everything from character limit, font size, style to final imagery. Nonetheless, we are trying and will share what we she comes up with for your review, as this is a great item for additional visibility.

Malikah A. Gordon

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Daphne,

Attached is a sign Katie designed for the smart poles outside of IUB. We are pretty limited in terms of text and images, for now. I would like to run these from 11/8-11/11. Please let me know if you have any feedback.

Best,

Malikah

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This looks excellent – thank you for putting this together! I do not have any additional edits.

Thank you,
Daphne

The Zero Waste iCAP team met on 11/6/2023 to discuss the STARS report, potential volunteer programs for zero waste events, and our findings from the hydration station meeting with Mike Stilger (also on 11/6/23). 

All,

Was great to catch up with so many old and new friends at AASHE!  Thank you for keeping Texas in your hearts and in your top 4 CFP rankings ...

I can’t recall if this group has discussed innovative storm water management.  All of our capital projects have very tight site boundaries so our opportunities for on-site management are few and costly. We’re investigating fee-in-lieu and stormwater credit funding models, but I’m wondering if anyone else has an established off-site stormwater management financing program in place ...

Thanks!

Jim

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Jim,

We've done some work on different approaches to managing stormwater. I'll send a separate email to introduce you to one of my colleagues who leads our efforts in this area.

Shane 

 At Friday's Illini Lights Out event, over 250 volunteers turned off 4,832 light bulbs that otherwise would have been left on all weekend, saving $735.16 in energy costs. This also prevented 5.9 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 665 gallons of gasoline being consumed. 

The iCAP Resilience Team met on October 20th to discuss charge letter priorities and current recommendations. Meeting minutes are attached.

The Land & Water iCAP team met on Teams from 1-2 PM on Friday, November 3rd. The team discussed permeable pavers at State Farm Center, the meadow at Orchard Downs, cover crops on the South Farm, and the iCAP 2025 rewrite of the Land & Water chapter. Meeting minutes are attached.

The iCAP Engagement Team met today (11/2) to discuss upcoming recommendations that adhere to the 2023-24 iCAP charge letter. Meeting minutes are attached.

The Education iCAP team met on Teams from 1-2 PM on Thursday, November 2nd. The team discussed the Green Career Fair, Sustainability in Study Abroad, Gies College of Business Sustainability content, and the Sustainability Internship Coordinator report. Meeting minutes are attached.

Hi Pete,

Please see attached for the draft we discussed today.

Thank you,
Daphne

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Hi Daphne,

Can you give me an update on this YMCA MOU?

Thanks,

Morgan

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Hi Pete,

Throwing this question up to you 😊 Have you had a chance to send the MOU over to Ehab?

Thank you,
Daphne

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I meet with Ehab this afternoon and can discuss with him at that time. However, are you working on an MOU with Housing as well? I’d rather give him both at the same time if possible.

Thank you,

Pete

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Hi Pete,

Yes, I have a working draft of the Housing MOU, too. I’ve attached it here for review.

Thank you,
Daphne