The University is working on biogasification in collaboration with the City of Rantoul.

Biogasification is converting biomass into biogas. Burning biomass can cause pollution in the environment, but biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide) burns more cleanly. Anaerobic digestion is one way to complete biogasification.

The Physical Plant Service Building (PPSB) is uniquely positioned parallel to the Stadium, with a long, flat roof. As a highly visible rooftop, this building may be an opportunity to test out verticals rooftop wind turbines. The turbines could be painted to represent the Big Ten school colors. These turbines could be designed and built in cooperation with faculty and students on campus. 

Wind-turbines can be installed on top of a roof of a building. These rooftop wind turbines constitute one percent of the renewable energy market, and have a huge potential in urban and suburban areas. There is not a large market for them yet, but the benefits of these wind systems can include independence from the grid, and payback periods as little as five years. They demonstrate that it is possible for an individual residence to acheive 20 percent wind power in less than a year.

A renewable portfolio standard, passed in 2007, has supported wind power in Illinois, which required 10% renewable energy from electric companies in 2010 and 25% by 2025. At the end of 2011, Illinois had 2743 megawatts (MW) of wind power installed. Illinois has the potential for installing up to 10,000 MW of wind generation capacity; in 2009, it ranked sixth among states for installed wind turbine capacity.

Several opportunities have been identified to integrate sustainability into the University’s educational mission, including a preliminary set of learning outcomes requiring each graduating student to obtain a core competency on sustainability. These competencies, such as knowledge of how food, water, energy, and material goods affect human societies and ecosystems, are designed to prepare students for leadership roles as society prepares for the climate challenge.