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Projects Updates for collection: 2010 iCAP Projects

  1. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Departmental Bike Sharing
    Bicycle Registration

    Hello all, This past week was great.  We weren't too busy, and we got some cool stuff done.  We sold 5 bikes for $640, 1 build-a-bike for $60, 4 memberships for $100, and grossed $1161.10.  We had a lot of volunteers come in and we were able to clean up the shop.  It looks great and is more functional.  I was also able to sort and organize a lot of the parts and we are much better for it.  We scrapped a lot of damaged frames, and low quality parts.  I added a couple of new tools to make things go faster and easier.  I worked on the cargo bike demo program, and am lining up a new department to lend the bike to.  We built several bikes and have about 40 for sale.  I was able to start ordering from the new supplier accounts I setup it was cool and we got some deals on parts.  We scrapped a lot of damaged frames, and low quality parts making some space.  We started using the new registration database.  The database is fully functional and awesome.  I meet with Stacey and Lily we did some pre Bike To Work Day planning.  I had a volunteer get all the advocacy materials organized and setup to be handed over to Lily. 

    This coming week I plan on getting more bikes from the parking warehouse, building more bikes for the spring rush, and continuing to clean and organize.  I'm going to work on setting up more classes for the spring.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  2. Chancellor Signs Resilience Commitment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience Sustainability Working Advisory Team (SWATeam)
    Issue Press Releases and Sustainability Reports
    Make Climate Commitments

    http://sustainability.illinois.edu/ui-remains-green-campus-leader-as-cha...

    Illinois a Green Campus Leader as Chancellor Signs Climate Resilience Commitment

    Mar 2, 2016 | News Releases |

    MARCH 3, 2016 — The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took on a leadership role to more actively respond to global climate change when Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson signed Second Nature’s Climate Resilience Commitment in February.

    Illinois is a Charter Signatory of the Second Nature Climate Commitment, which combines a Carbon Commitment the campus signed in 2008 with the newly signed Resilience Commitment. The full Climate Commitment formally acknowledges that the effects of climate change are already felt — and that universities and colleges must pursue both mitigation and adaptation to combat the unfolding crisis.

    By adding the Resilience Commitment, Illinois has made a pledge to evaluate campus vulnerabilities to a changing climate in its landscapes, natural resources, and energy production — and to make an action plan that addresses those weaknesses.

    In 2015, Illinois released an updated Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) reporting its progress toward emissions reduction and other campus sustainability goals and outlining a new path to reaching net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2050.

    “While the iCAP is a plan for how campus impacts the atmosphere and climate, the resilience plan will be about how the campus reacts to atmosphere and climate change,” said Evan DeLucia, Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).

    Resilience is a measure of the ability to react to and recover from difficult circumstances. Resilient communities bend but do not break under pressure, he said.

    Wilson, who signed the document Feb. 9, said: “Signing the Resiliency Commitment is a natural extension of our efforts to carefully steward university resources. By planning ahead, we can prepare for a range of potential challenges presented by climate change — whether social, financial, or ecological.

    “We’re positioning ourselves to be the kind of nimble and responsive university that can deliver on our educational and research missions for generations to come.”

    DeLucia said that carrying out the terms of the commitment will create a more holistic picture of sustainability on campus.

    “I think this commitment will make us think about sustainability in a broader way,” he said. “Rather than only asking, ‘How much renewable energy do we use?’ we’ll also be asking ‘Do we have a diverse enough pool of energy resources so that if one fails, the entire system doesn’t fail?’ It will be less about being ‘green’ and more about being truly sustainable.”

    A PDF of the Resilience Commitment — complete with Wilson’s signature — can be viewed on iSEE’s website.
    Second Nature is a nonprofit organization with more than 20 years of experience mobilizing institutions of higher education to lead the way to a more just, healthy, and sustainable society. It sponsors the Climate, Resilience, and Carbon commitments and oversees reporting of the signatory institutions’ progress toward their goals.

     

  3. News Release - RLF update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    $1.9M Available for Campus Utility Conservation Projects from the Revolving Loan Fund

    CHAMPAIGN, IL – More than $1.9M will be available for campus projects through the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) this semester. Departments and units interested in submitting utility conservation work for consideration are encouraged to download and complete the RLF application available at: http://go.fs.illinois.edu/rlf. The RLF Committee will evaluate proposals beginning in mid-April with project selection occurring this summer. 

    The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) collaborated with Facilities & Services (F&S) to allocate $500K from Chevrolet Bonneville Environmental Foundation funding into the RLF. The amount was matched by an additional $250K from the Office of the Chancellor with the goal of further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on campus and achieving targets outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP).  

    Through the carbon credit agreement with Chevrolet, acquisition of grant funding, and campus commitments the RLF has grown to a record $3.9M.

    Engineer specialist for F&S Josh Whitson said, “Through both centrally-funded programs and user-based initiatives there is a proven track record of significant cost avoidance and energy reduction at the university. The RLF builds on these successful conservation efforts.”

    Chevrolet retired an estimated 150K metric tons of carbon credits from the university on behalf of the environment in May 2014. The carbon credits were earned through the work of the campus to reduce GHG.

    “By increasing the size of the RLF, our campus has reinforced its commitment to conserving energy and resources — a commitment that will allow the excellent work done by F&S to continue and increase,” said Ben McCall, associate director for campus sustainability at iSEE. “Decreasing our carbon footprint through this cost-effective approach will help Illinois remain a leader among green campuses.”

    The RLF was established in 2011 as a financing source for utility conservation projects with a less than 10-year payback period. The savings from steam, electricity, and chilled or potable water costs are paid back annually, based on initially calculated savings.

    To date, more than $2M has been allocated from the RLF for energy-efficient lighting retrofits, including LED upgrades, and the installation of occupancy sensors.

    BILLION DOLLAR GREEN CHALLENGE:
    The RLF is a recognized part of the Billion Dollar Green Challenge where 57 universities have committed more than $116M for energy conservation efforts: http://greenbillion.org/. The Challenge encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of $1 Billion in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.

    RLF ONLINE:
    More information on the RLF is available on the iCAP Portal: http://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/revolving-loan-fund

    RLF Project Application ​

    Attached Files: 

  4. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    Ben McCall attended this ECBS SWATeam meeting to join in on the discussion of objectives 2 and 3 under the ECBS section of iCAP 2015.  A consultation group will be formed to help in recommending potential objective 2 strategies.  The main issue is that there is no "one size fits all" standard for all campus buildings.  Various strategies of creating a feedback loop for reducing energy usage were also discussed with regards to objective 3.  Next meeting is set for Tuesday, March 15.

    Attached Files: 

  5. Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis recommendation - Returned to the SWATeam

    Associated Project(s): 
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Transportation SWATeam
    Transportation SWATeam Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    The iCAP Working Group (iWG) met on February 16, 2016, to discuss the SWATeam recommendation, Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis. The iWG's final comment was:

    "What would be the end result? There are many reasons to travel, some are optional and some are not. For example, junior faculty who are working on tenure need to network and engage with other experts in their area. Other times, it may be sufficient to conduct business or the meeting virtually. This is more of a sociological study, maybe a student in the Sociology department can help.  Jess Tang will work with the SWATeam to see if this is plausible."

    Following the iWG meeting, this recommendation was returned to the Transportation SWATeam for further discussion within the SWATeam.

    See SWATeam recommendation Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis here.

  6. EGen003 PPA term recommendation - Submittal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Power Purchase Agreements for Clean Energy
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    eGen Recommendations Summary

    The eGen SWATeam submitted a recommendation to the iWG stating, "Take steps to allow a Power Purchase Agreement for electricity without any restriction on the term of the agreement."

    See attached the SWATeam recommendation EGen003 PPA term complete with comments from all the eGen SWATeam members.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Archived info - RLF previous background info

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    This fund was originally called for in the 2010 iCAP, as the “clean energy fund.”  It was established in Fiscal Year 2012, with funding from the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) and the Office of the Chancellor.  Within the first year, the Office of the President committed additional funds. 

    With input from the campus community, Facilities & Services, the SSC, the Office of Sustainability, and the Office of the Chancellor worked through the details for selecting projects.  The agreement about the process was signed in November 2011.  According to the  agreement, any grant funds received for RLF projects in campus-funded utility buildings will be allocated entirely to the RLF.  Thus, the fund can grow over time.  Additionally, the campus agreed to match any future additional commitments from the SSC.

    If an Auxiliary unit is interested in using the Revolving Loan Fund for a utility conservation project, a simple Memo of Understanding is needed to allow the repayment through utility savings over time. 

  9. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee met Tuesday, February 16 to continue fleshing out the ECBS SWATeam's fourth iCAP objective, which has to do with increasing campus engagement in sustainability.  Discussion continued on ECIP and potential changes for the upcoming year- a major issue is raising awareness of this program and others like it. By the conclusion of the meeting, the focus of the subcommittee shifted to creating and sending recommendations to the iCAP Working Group, such as a Green Labs Initiative proposal as well as continuing Eco-Olympics or initiating a similar program that would serve as dorm resident engagement.  The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23.

    Attached Files: 

  10. Student workers needed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Establish a Net Zero Waste Plan and Policy

    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

    Campus Waste Study 

    "We are conducting some research on the campus waste hauling process and I am looking for some help. I need workers for a project that will last for one week, paying $10 per hour. In this project I am looking for people to ride along on the waste collection routes to record how full the dumpsters are prior to being emptied. I have three routes to cover.  The first starts at 3am and runs until 11:30am. The other two routes start at 6:30am and run until 3pm." - Bart Bartels

     

    *If you are interested please contact Bart Bartels, Technical Assistance Engineer ,* at217.244.7572 or bbartel@illinois.edu.

     

    1455031005594-u0kneiisvw-2a1395da292e4f2149b6554133c1d6e0.jpg

  11. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee held its first meeting on Tuesday, February 9.  Discussion revolved around the issue of tying all existing campus engagement programs (e.g., ECIP, Certified Green Office Program, revolving loan fund, etc.) together into one campus-wide brand.

    Attached Files: 

  12. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Dashboard Project

    The ECBS SWATeam's first meeting of the semester took place on Tuesday, February 2.  Key topics of discussion included follow-ups on the Energy Dashboard project, Design Center, space utilization meetings Karl attended in December, and internships developed to help with the Green Labs Initiative and campus engagement in sustainability issues.  Morgan also led a discussion on campus engagement, the 4th objective under ECBS in the iCAP 2015, resulting in the formation of an incentivizing subcommittee within the SWATeam with the purpose of advancing this objective.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Trans001 TEM_DMI recommendation - Supplanted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Transportation SWATeam
    Transportation SWATeam Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    The OBFS department sent their response to the iCAP Working Group (iWG) on September 23, 2015, which was then forwarded to the Transportation SWATeam in October. The Transportation SWATeam supplanted the Trans001 TEM_DMI recommendation with the new Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis recommendation.

    See the new SWATeam recommendation Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis here.

    See Transmittal of SWAteam recommendation of Trans001 TEM_DMI here.

    See iWG assessment of Trans001 TEM_DMI here.

    See SWATeam recommendation Trans001 TEM_DMI here.

  15. Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis recommendation - Submittal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips
    Transportation SWATeam
    Transportation SWATeam Recommendations Summary

    The Transportation SWATeam submitted a new recommendation, Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis, that supplanted the old recommendation, Trans001 TEM_DMI. The SWATeam stated,

    "Travel demand analysis on reducing air travel emissions. It was proposed that a travel demand study be conducted to find out quantitatively how university business travelers select air travel against other alternatives (such as web-conference, train, driving). The outcome will then be used to develop incentives or policies to reduce air travels and emissions. This study could be conducted in two phases:

    Phase 1. Collect 1-2 years of data on individual travel decisions, including travelers’ socio-economic characteristics, and the alternatives they have. This includes analysis of the current Travel and Expense Management (TEM) database (e.g., the reported travel purpose and funding source) to collect basic information about current air travel. Part of the effort can involve adding new questions to the current TEM reimbursement process. An additional survey to the general public might be necessary to account for those who choose not to travel.

    Phase 2. Statistical/econometric models (e.g., discrete choice models) will be developed based on the data collected in Phase 1. The outcome will inform us what factors contribute to air travel versus other available options, and what it takes to change the travelers’ decisions. Based on the findings, the researcher could recommend programs to (i) provide incentives for campus units to reduce their annual air travel emissions; and (ii) educate/support the campus community on alternatives to air travel, such as trains and video conferencing."

    See attached the SWATeam recommendation, Trans005 Travel Demand Analysis, complete with comments from all the Transportation SWATeam members.

    See the Supplanted SWATeam recommendation Trans001 TEM_DMI here.

    Attached Files: 

  16. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Education
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    Hello all,  This past week was good.  We got a lot done and helped a lot of folks.  The Center sold 3 bikes for $400, and grossed $908.50.  I agreed to provide materials and do some education at a international student bike safety event in February.  I was able to clean the shop up a considerable amount. I built a few bikes and we now have 32 bikes that are for sale or need to be logged and priced.  Rick got his bike share up and running and I was very appreciative for the help.

    This coming week I plan on building bikes and cleaning out the back of the shop.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl
     

  17. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bike Sharing
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    Hello all, This past week was very busy.  We had a lot of people come in and either volunteer to fix their bikes.  The shop grossed $70.  I got a lot done with cleaning the space out.  We had far too many bikes donated that were directed to this shop.  I am not going to be able to accept any more bikes for a while.  I scrapped upwards of 30 bikes sawing them into pieces and putting them in boxes.  It was so bad the boxes themselves made the whole back of the shop inaccessible.  They got removed Friday by Todd so we wont have to deal with that issue any more.  The shop is very well stocked with used parts right now.  I went over to the warehouse and pulled some bikes and cleaned up a bit.  There is more work to be done and 30 or so bikes to dispose of.  I got an account setup with shimano so we can order shifters and bbs.  I helped Rick Langlois haul, build, and accessorize the bike share bikes for his department.  He was very happy, and now we have a 6 bike bike share on campus.  Silver BFU status here we come.  I worked on reinstating Shiqi.  She is returning for spring semester which will help me a lot.  I will have a labor shortage when it gets a little warmer.

    This coming week I plan on getting the shop back into shape after spending the last two weeks not being able to access half of it.  I will also try to get more work done at the warehouse. 

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  18. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Dashboard Project
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam

    Energy Conservation & Building Standards SWATeam meeting minutes for December 9.

    The major agenda items were about the Energy Dashboard Project and a presentation by Scott Willenbrock from the Energy Generation, Purchasing, Distribution SWATeam.

    Attached Files: 

  19. VHS tapes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Recycling Rates

    Cassettes and VHS tapes are recycled at Plastic Recycling Incorporated through a mail in program.  Their address is:

    2015 S. Pennsylvania St.

    Indianapolis, IN 46225

    317.780.6100

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