The Foundation's lighting programs continue to assist Illinois communities improve lighting quality and lower utility bills by the simple act of replacing old light fixtures with high efficiency bulbs and ballasts. Over 4,000 buildings have been upgraded, leading to electricity demand savings of over 130 megawatts.

For 2014, the Foundation is introducing a new incentive and format methodology for Energy Efficiency Lighting Grants.

The new format and incentive structure provides:

The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation was independently founded in 1999 with an endowment of $225 million from Commonwealth Edison. The foundation’s mission is to “improve energy efficiency, advance the development of renewable energy resources and protect natural areas for people in communities all across Illinois.” So far ICECF has awarded more than 3,900 grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, municipalities, and other local and state government agencies.

The University will establish a dedicated, centrally coordinated funding pool for energy conservation projects within the next three years. This “clean energy” fund will allow for both internal (student fees, faculty contributions, staff contributions, energy savings reinvestment, capital programs), and external (programs, rebates, donations, outside investors) participation. It will be established as a capital infusion and coordination mechanism aimed at physical energy and energy cost reductions that also allows for the sustained maintenance of these investments.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is a major grant source for energy reduction projects.

http://www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo/Bureaus/Energy_Recycling/

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a not-for-profit public university, and it is eligible for a number of sustainability related grants.  Through the diligence of professional staff and comprehensive records management, this campus regularly seeks and receives grant awards in support of our programs.  We are very grateful to all the grant programs that have awarded funding, and we look forward to continued partnership over the next decades.

One of the current steps in the system for the disposal of durable goods is transfer of such goods within University departments. This is a positive action, from a sustainability standpoint, since it allows for reuse of goods with little transportation emissions.

Part of the 2010 iCAP strategies related to Purchasing/ Waste/ Recycling was to improve internal reuse policies. The University is working to improve such policies, which includes increasing department-to-department durable good transfers.

One of the strategies set forth in the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan under Purchasing, Waste, and Recycling theme was to develop a durable goods reuse cataloguing system. Such a system would allow an simple and clear process for reuse of durable goods. Properly carried out, this would reduce purchasing and waste at the University.

One measure that the University plans to take is to expand reuse of durable goods. Use could be expanded if the University were able to resell used goods to the public. Current state law does not allow the University to resell used goods to the public. Efforts to reverse this law and improvement of internal reuse programs should be implemented.

The Waste Transfer Station works with vendors to recycle old pallets rather than send them to the landfill.