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Projects Updates for place: Physical Plant Service Building

  1. Weekly Update

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

    Hello all, This past week was busy.  We lots of folks coming in to fix their bikes, but the weather made it weird some days we were empty others we had a 15 minute wait for repair stands.  We saw a lot of new faces, and made some new friends.  The shop sold 4 bikes for $630, 1 build-a-bike for $35, 5 student memberships for $125, 1 community membership for $40, and grossed $1517.  I talked to some of the people involved in the cargo bike loans, but was unable to get any progress yet.  I was unable to build a new desk welcome area, but did acquire a commercial hook wall for free!

    This week I will be working on meeting with people for the cargo bike program, and getting things ready for the residents hall donation program.  I will also build more bikes to sell.

    From the Campus Bike Center,
    James Roedl

  3. Campus Cargo Bicycle Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    Campus Bicycle Center now has had a cargo bicycle for several months and the bicycle has completed its residency at the Main Library.

    Upon return from the Library, the Cargo Bicycle received very positive feedback and the Campus Bicycle Center and Transportation Demand Management is now working with the Main Library contact, Eric Mosher, to purchase their very own cargo bicycle.

    This bicycle willreplace a truck or van delivery of transferred books between libraries on campus.

  4. 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

  5. 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: 

  6. 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: 

  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 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: 

  10. 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
     

  11. 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

  12. Award Letter - Demo Cargo Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    The idea for the project came after noticing most trucks on campus are only hauling small loads compared to the capacity they were made for. We believe we could switch many transportation tasks over to human powered vehicles. We are hoping we can use a demonstration cargo bike to show different departments how they can use sustainable transportation rather than large fossil fuel powered trucks. We want the departments to see how useful cargo bikes can be and then buy their own. This would not only save money, reduce pollution and congestion, but open up opportunities for student workers who do not have driver’s licenses to do these tasks. This would open up more jobs for students on campus as well as let them participate in sustainable transportation which they could then take and implement after they graduate.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Rooftop Solar Student Project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rooftop Solar Potential
    Independent Student Projects

    Brendan McDonnell is working with F&S to identify the best buildings on campus for rooftop solar.  Brendan is a MechSE graduate student working toward an MS in ME with a certificate in Energy Systems Engineering, and this is his summer capstone project.  Professor Elif Ertekin is his advisor for the project, and Morgan Johnston is his supervisor at F&S.   The files Brendan is collecting are stored in the iSEE Solar box folder at https://uofi.app.box.com/files/0/f/2802975201/iSEE_-_Solar_Working_Group....

  14. GRITS one month trial period January 2014

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
    Billion Dollar Green Challenge

    F&S is working with Shoshana Blank, the Senior Research Fellow & GRITS Project Lead at the Sustainable Endowments Institute, on a trial tracking and reporting system for the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).  Mike Marquissee is entering some historical data in to the system.  F&S is also sharing access to the trial site with the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) Program Advisor, Micah Kenfield. 

    Initial reactions at F&S are very positive.  The GRITS system has a low annual cost, and it provides a simple and robust tracking system for the RLF.  This would be an upgrade from the spreadsheet tracking we are currently using.  The program also provides reports on payback, energy saved, fund growth over time, and more.  Additionally, there is a Project Library resource, which shares conservation project information from other GRITS participants.

  16. accounting update from Mike M.

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

    I have realigned the way we account for projects in AiM, so each RLF will need to have a specific  AiM account number that maps to a banner plant fund.  As soon as I can transfer the open work orders off of MY862-Revolving Loan Fund, I will inactivate that account number.

    So, each new RLF project will need a Banner Plant Account number (I obtain) and a new AiM account number (mee, too.) then I will let the PM know so he/she can set up work orders.  This way, it keeps project costs segregated.  Putting it all into one account like I did initially dumps all project costs into one AiM account making it hard to keep the expenditures separate.  - Mike

  17. note from Billion Dollar Green Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
    Billion Dollar Green Challenge

    Hi Morgan and Mike,

    It was great to speak with you both today and learn more about the revolving loan fund at UIUC. Your green revolving fund would be well-fit for the Billion Dollar Green Challenge.

    I have attached an information packet with all you need to know about The Challenge. If you want to sign-on to The Challenge, sign page 15. If UIUC has a $2 million revolving fund, it would cost $1,000 a year to be on The Challenge.

    I also attached the document with estimated lifespans for various energy efficiency equipment.

    I'll be in touch in early November to get you GRITS trial access, unless I hear from you sooner!

    Actually, Morgan, I see that you will be attending the Climate Leadership Summit hosted by Second Nature in Boston next month. Our office is actually down the hall from Second Nature. My boss, Mark Orlowski, will be at the Summit, and could always meet to answer questions. Also, if you want to meet up with me, I could meet by the conference as well. Just let me know if that would be helpful.

    Thanks,

    Shoshana

    --

    Shoshana Blank
    Senior Research Fellow &

    GRITS Project Lead

    Sustainable Endowments Institute
    A Special Project of
    Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

    18 Tremont Street, Suite 930

    Boston, MA 02108

    Office: (617) 528-0334

    shoshana@greenbillion.org

    Attached Files: 

  18. RLF project selection committee meeting delayed

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

    Dear Revolving Loan Fund Selection Committee,

    For two reasons, we will be rescheduling the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) project review meeting.  First, the funding available to allocate from the RLF has significantly increased with the roll-over to FY15.  We now have an additional million dollars to allocate, with a total of approximately $2.3M.  Therefore, additional potential projects need to be identified before the selection takes place.  Second, the AFMFA selection committee is being called this fall, for the first time in a few years.  The founding agreement for the RLF (attached for your reference) intended the project selection to occur with the AFMFA project selection process.  Therefore, this meeting will be arranged in conjunction with the fall AFMFA committee meeting. 

    The AFMFA committee meeting will be arranged by Doris Reeser, and I will remain in contact to answer questions about the RLF.

    Thank you,

    Morgan

  20. SSC suggestion about growing the RLF

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

    Dear Mike,

    The Student Sustainability Committee recently decided to fund a project entitled "Energy Shade Curtains - Phase III" for the Plant Care Facility in the amount of $71,000.  The project aims to install and program new shade curtains to decrease unnecessary overuse of energy to heat, cool, and power greenhouse rooms.  An earlier phase of this project included detailed metering, which demonstrated a 50% reduction in heat inputs and a 32% reduction in electricity consumption.

    The SSC, and iSEE, would like to ask whether the energy savings resulting from this project can be "paid back" into the Revolving Loan Fund in order to help facilitate future energy-saving projects.  Obviously we would have to quantify exactly what the savings are, before moving forward.

    Sincerely,

    Marika Nell (Outgoing Chair, SSC)
    Amy Liu (Incoming Chair, SSC)
    Ben McCall (Associate Director for Campus Sustainability, iSEE)
     

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