Professors Bill Sanders and Tom Overbye received funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for the Illinois Center for a Smarter Electric Grid (ICSEG). The ICSEG is a 5-year project that is helping to provide services for the validation of information technology and control aspects of Smart Grid systems.

On May 16, 2013, CSE and MSTE created their first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the iCAP Portal. In this written agreement, further clarification was provided to understand MSTE's ongoing support for the development, enhancement, and promotion of the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) portal. Notable information in this document includes statistical achievements, the addition of new website features, and the future direction of the portal.

See the attached file to review the document.

The University campus has designated several different areas as No-Mow Zones. There is signage at these locations that explains that the area is a no-mow zone and the benefits of no-mow zones.

In each dining hall, local foods are marked with a sticker on the protective glass. In addition, a flyer entitled 'Why Eat Local?' is posted at the beginning of the line.

Each LEED certified building on campus has signage that highlights the green features of that building. All new renovation or construction provides signage with information about the green features.

For example, the Business Instructional Facility (BIF) has a large electronic, interactive monitor that allows visitors to review each of the green features of the building.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was submitted (and later recognized) in the continuous improvement category for the Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award in 2013.  It is clear that this campus is serious about meeting our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050.  This was emphasized this year, when “Energy, Environment, and Sustainability” was identified as a top priority for the Urbana-Champaign campus.  Through the many iCAP projects completed and in progress, the campus is becoming a better steward of our financial, human, and natural resources.  Our goal is to be the model of sustainability for campuses across the globe.

According to the EPA, about 30 percent of the pipes the United States water infrastructure are between 40 to 80 years old. The aging water system is dangerous to public health and often causes property loss and inconvenience. The University's pipe survey, which looked at the pipe system on campus property to find leaks, will help to combat this national problem at the university level.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/20/water.main.infrastructure/index.html

From: Neptune, Amelia
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 12:27 PM
To: Ortiz, Benita Vonne
Cc: Johnston, Morgan B
Subject: Bicycle Repair Station outside of Allen Hall

Hi Vonne,

As you may recall, earlier in the school year we had discussed that there is some funding for a new bicycle repair station near Allen Hall/CRCE. The original location we proposed near Gregory Drive in front of CRCE was rejected by the Architecture Review Committee, and they have proposed a better location near the bike parking area in front of Allen Hall. I would like to get your OK on this location before we move forward.

The first attached PDF shows the location proposed by the Architecture Review Committee. As you’ll see in the photos on pages 2 and 3, it is on existing pavement, close to the bike parking, but not blocking a walkway, which I think is ideal.

The second PDF shows the specifications of the newly designed repair stations so you know what it would look like. The new design is much smaller and (in my opinion) more attractive than the existing repair stations we have elsewhere on campus. The blue color of the existing stations is no longer available, so our plan is to match the color of the adjacent bike parking, in this case black.

Please let me know if Housing has any objections to this location, or would like to meet there in person to discuss it further. Once I have your approval, we’ll move forward placing the order and installing this summer.  Please let me know if there are any questions.

Thank you,

Amelia  

=========================================

Amelia Neptune

Campus Bicycle Coordinator

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1501 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820

aneptune@illinois.edu

217-300-1316

From: Marlin, John C
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 4:37 PM
To: Welch, Ryan B
Cc: Johnston, Morgan B
Subject: Grass herbicide for Florida Orchard

A container of Assure II is now at the S. Lincoln grounds Barn.  I left it with Eric who put it in the location with the chemicals.  There is a note taped to the top with my name on it and saying it is for Ryan Welch for Florida—Orchard.

I am supposed to mention that the herbicide needs to have a little crop oil mixed in as per the label.  Also the person who sprayed last time said to make sure your guy knows there are a couple ground hog holes in the field.

The targeted grass is quackgrass.   The prime target areas are fairly obvious and need the most attention.  The worst area is just south of the mulched area and extends quite a way up the hill.  It should probably be done first in case we run out of mix.   Then there is a large swath just to the west of the trees going most of the way up the field. 

Attached is a copy of the Assure II label. 

I will need a little warning in order to remove some marker flags from the field.   Use my cell as well as email, as I do not always see my email in a timely manner.   We can be ready about any time you can schedule it.    

The spray can come a couple feet  into the edge of the mulched area.   I will put pink flags along the edge.  If possible use a machine with some extended spray arms to minimize the number of prairie plants that will be ridden over by wheels.   The bar on the sprayer that did the roundup last year had wide wheels and the spray bar was only as wide as the machine.

The weather channel predicts next Tue and Wed as 10% chance of rain.

Thanks,

John

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is looking to the future and developing a strategy to meet the evolving energy needs of the campus. After several years of addressing deficiencies in utility production, distribution, and monitoring, the campus is proactively shaping its energy enterprise. The university is uniquely positioned to serve as a large-scale laboratory to test theories and potential technological advancements through collaboration with faculty members, researchers, and industry partners.

To Davie Akins, Please proceed with the bike parking upgrade on the west side of Art and Design, per the previous discussions we have had.  The SSC funding will contribute $11,849.50 from CFOP: 1-629514-814006-xxxxxx-191200-814BIK. - from Morgan Johnston

F&S requested $30,266 funding from the SSC for the Campus Bicycle Shop for fiscal year 2014.  The funding was awarded, contingent on not requesting additional funding in future years.

According to the funding award letter, "Because SSC grants are intended as seed or bridge funding, this grant was approved with the understanding that this project will not seek SSC funding in future years."

Instep sent a letter to the University confirming that the Energy Dashboard is an innovative project. The letter is attached.

In 2013, the Student Sustainability Committee received this project suggestion: "Community gardens built on the farmlands at Orchard Downs would benefit direct participants, households, and the community. Main participants in the project would be university students, local residents, and children from an after-school program nearby. The participants would not only benefit from the food produced, but the agricultural knowledge, environmental consciousness, and community interaction associate with working on a community farm.

The gardens will be designed in a biointensive way, meaning they will be organic agricultural plots that focus on yielding maximal produce on a small plot and maintaining the quality of the soil. The gardens may be implemented in greenhouses, hoop houses, or outdoors depending on the seasonal limitations decided upon in the final designs of the garden.

Students can register to do volunteer work at the community garden that would be counted toward course credit. Students and their relatives can also request plot to farm on, from which they can use  the produce themselves or sell it to school organizer of the program."

Housing Services has already established community gardens, which have been in effect since at least the 1990s.

The Center for a Sustainable Environment will be hosting the Teaching Sustainability Workshop on April 12-13, 2013. The workshop aims to bring together instructors at the University of Illinois who wish to learn more about adding information about sustainability to the courses that they already teach. 

On Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9 the Teens Turning Green University of Illinois chapter hosted several events as part of the Teens Turning Green (TTG) Organization's College Road Tour. On April 8 TTG has samples of green products on the quad from 2-4 pm and a Town Hall Meeting in LAR's Main Lounge from 6- 8:30 pm. A Conscious Information Station was set up on the Quad from 10 am- 2 pm on April 9. TTG estimates they readed out to about 200 people over the course of these events.