With the careful use of motion detectors, we can reduce energy demands for unoccupied space.  Rather than turning lights off when no one is in the area, we can use bi-level lights to reduce the energy going to the light fixture.  The results in parking lots have been shown to reduce energy demands by as much as 60 percent over the course of a month.  This technology is available with different styles of lighting, including Metal Hallide, LEDs, and Fluorsecent.  Campus is developing a project using bi-level LEDs in Parking Lot E-15.

There are nearly one million fluorescent and incandescent lighting fixtures on campus, and the majority are fluorescent fixtures in buildings.  In 2008, the majority of these fixtures were the T12 style, which are no longer produced.  The new T8 fixture is thiner and much more energy efficient.  To replace all the T12s with T8s will take many years and millions of dollars.  However, the energy savings are great, with each replacement bulb dropping the energy demand from 40 Watts to 28 Watts.  This program has been ongoing for a number of years, and has had fund

A recent evaluation of potential energy conservation measures on campus was performed by the international consulting firm Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The subsequent report described conservation strategies with the potential to reduce campus energy use by about 32 percent, resulting in a 114,500 MTE CO2 reduction (this is about 22.5 percent of current emissions).

Plans are progressing to add a new energy source at Abbott Power Plant – biomass fuel made from plants – following the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 2012 decision to grant a test-fire permit.

The idea involves using a biomass material, made from wood or miscanthus grass for example, which then would be added to the coal. The mixture could contain anywhere from 10-20 percent biomass fuel, though the tests will determine the proper mixture and whether the process presents any dangers during the combustion process.

The 24-panel, gravity fed solar-thermal system on the roof of the ARC preheats domestic cold water prior to its introduction into the steam-powered heat exchanger for domestic hot water, which significantly reduces steam usage for domestic hot water during normal operating periods. There are three main areas of hot water usage (domestic, pool, and air heating), but domestic (i.e. showers and sinks) represents the most pressing need and efficient use of solar technology.

This feasibility study considered the potential placement of a Photovoltaic array on the roof of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA). The Study was conducted in two phases. A construction budget of five hundred eighty-five thousand dollars ($585,000), excluding contingencies, was proposed by the Student Sustainability Committee.

The Business Instructional Facility was the first production rooftop solar PV array installed on a campus building.  There are 168 panels with 190 Watts per panel, for a total system size of 32kW.

One potential method for acheiving the 2015 iCAP goal for on-campus solar is to retrofit existing campus buildings with rooftop solar.  The amount of sun shine on each roof, the viability of the building itself, and the funding mechanisms all need to be reviewed and resolved for this idea to be implemented.  The viability for each building includes approval from the Architectural Review Committee, agreement of the building occupant facility leaders, and structural and electrical viability for the building.  As of 2016, the financial payback for solar photovoltaics is not strong enough to ea

The 20.8 acre Solar Farm on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign South Farms is a Power Purchase Agreement with Phoenix Solar South Farms, LLC, producing an estimated 7, 864 MWh/year of solar energy used solely by the Urbana campus.

The Utilities Production and Distribution Master Plan addresses Illinois’ energy future. The plan, approved by the Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee in September 2015, is a recognized report associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign master planning process.