The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation’s Net Zero Energy Building Program will award grants to new construction or retrofit projects that achieve site net zero energy performance, or better, over the course of a year. Buildings must, at a minimum, offset all of their energy consumption with on-site generation from renewable resources. Grants will be paid incrementally, with full payment contingent on actual performance.
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 7, objective 6 is "Reduce nitrates in agricultural runoff and subsurface drainage by 50% from the FY15 baseline by FY22." Nitrogen applications can lead to increased nitrate concentrations in agriculture runoff and subsurface drainage. Under anaerobic conditions, nitrate can be reduced to nitrogen gas and nitrous oxide (a powerful greenhouse gas).
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 7, objective 1 is "Perform a comprehensive assessment of GHG emissions from agricultural operations, and develop a plan to reduce them, by the end of FY16." This assessment should include the identification or development of an agricultural emissions calculator that can be used on an annual basis to estimate related GHG emissions, along with the identification of the appropriate group of stakeholders in the relevant units who would annually provide the required i
The Student Sustainability Committee funded the design and installation of a small solar PV array on the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building. This particular location was chosen due to its viability, visibility, and location near the heart of campus. The roof was found to be strong enough to hold a ballasted solar array, and a design was completed. That design is available here in PDF format and can be pursued, if desired.
The campus needs funding for solar installations in order to meet the 2015 iCAP objective for on-campus solar generation. An account should be set up with the University of Illinois Foundation for interested supporters to donate to campus solar efforts.
The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center a division of the Prairie Research Institute is part of a pilot project on the University of Illinois campus that will explore methods to capture carbon dioxide from the gas- and coal-fired Abbott Power Plant. The ultimate goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and developing industrial markets that would reuse the recovered CO2. The Department of Energy is funding the $1.3 million engineering and planning phase, representing the DOE’s first sponsorship of a large-scale research and development project for the capture of CO2 emissions.
The Bicycle Coordinator should partner with local police enforcement, safety educators, and advocacy groups to produce an educational pamphlet for motorists about how to drive safely with bikes. Many of the 'share the road' principals and concepts can be included, as well as technical legal requirements (like 3' passing laws) and helpful explanations, perhaps in a Q&A format.
Bike Lockers are designed to hold an entire bicycle, within an enclosed locker. These can be very convenient for bicycle commuters who want to have extra security for their bicycle. They provide shelter from the elements and there is usually additional storage for books, bags, and such, within the space for the bicycle. The University does not currently have any bike lockers on campus.
